Mumbai, September 2, 2026: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches at premises in Maharashtra as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged fraudulent toll collection and diversion of toll revenues at National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) toll plazas. The searches are part of a wider operation covering 14 premises across several states and regions.
The searches, being conducted by the ED’s Lucknow Zonal Office under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, also cover premises in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu, Madhya Pradesh, the National Capital Region (NCR) and Kolkata.
The investigation stems from a case registered in January 2025. The ED’s Ahmedabad Sub-Zonal Office subsequently registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in the matter in May 2025.
Unauthorised Software Allegedly Used
The ED’s probe has so far revealed the alleged use of unauthorised software alongside the authorised toll-collection system to generate fabricated toll receipts outside the approved system. Such receipts allegedly enabled toll fees collected from vehicle users to be diverted without being reflected in NHAI’s official accounts.
The agency said its findings were supported by forensic analysis and records obtained from NHAI, which corroborated the alleged deployment of the unauthorised software. The findings prompted the ED to expand its investigation beyond individual toll plazas and examine the wider network allegedly involved in the diversion of toll revenues.
Probe Into Wider Financial Network
The agency is now examining the broader financial network allegedly connected with the diversion, including the flow and utilisation of the suspected proceeds of crime. The searches are aimed at securing digital and documentary evidence, identifying beneficiaries and tracing the money trail, officials said.
The money laundering probe builds upon enforcement action by the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (STF) and NHAI following raids at the Atraila Shiv Ghulam Toll Plaza in Mirzapur district. Authorities had subsequently taken action against multiple user fee collection agencies over alleged irregularities and breaches of contractual terms.
Toll Transactions Allegedly Suppressed
According to the investigation, members of the alleged syndicate developed and installed unauthorised software on computers used at toll plazas, enabling toll transactions to be processed outside the official NHAI system. The alleged fraud primarily involved cash toll collections and manual transactions.
The unauthorised software was allegedly used to generate receipts resembling those issued through the official system while suppressing the corresponding transaction data from the NHAI database.
Suspected Diversion Across 42 Plazas
The probe has indicated that only a portion of the cash transactions was recorded in the central NHAI system, while the remaining transactions were allegedly deleted or shown as involving exempted vehicles, resulting in lower reported toll collections.
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Investigators suspect that the unaccounted cash was subsequently diverted and routed through multiple bank accounts and other financial channels. The alleged network is suspected to have operated across at least 42 toll plazas in 14 states. Forensic examination and comparison of physical vehicle movement with data recorded in the NHAI system allegedly brought the discrepancies to light.
The ED is now tracing the financial trail of the suspected proceeds of crime, including the entities and individuals who allegedly received or handled the diverted funds, officials said.
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