Lucknow, September 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Lucknow Zonal Office, on Wednesday conducted searches at 14 premises in connection with an investigation into alleged fraudulent collection of toll charges at various National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) toll plazas.
The searches, carried out under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, covered locations in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jammu, Madhya Pradesh, the National Capital Region (NCR) and Kolkata.
The investigation stems from FIR No. 17, registered on January 22, 2025, and ECIR No. ECIR/ASZO/04/2025, dated May 19, 2025.
According to the ED, its investigation has revealed the alleged use of unauthorised software applications to generate fraudulent toll receipts and divert the corresponding collections outside the official accounting system.
The agency said forensic examination and records obtained from the NHAI had corroborated the alleged deployment of such software.
The searches were aimed at recovering digital and documentary evidence, identifying alleged beneficiaries and tracing proceeds of crime, the ED said. Further investigation is underway.
In a separate case on Tuesday, the ED provisionally attached movable assets worth approximately Rs 3.31 crore, comprising 62,914.316 units of the HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund, in a money-laundering investigation involving Akshatha Minerals Pvt Ltd and others.
The ED’s Bengaluru Zonal Office issued the provisional attachment order on September 1 under Section 5(1) of the PMLA. The probe originated from an FIR registered by the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Bureau in Bengaluru, concerning allegations of cheating, criminal conspiracy and use of forged documents involving the company, its directors and others.
The ED also conducted searches on Tuesday at the residence of K.K. Chandravanshi, also known as K.K. Chandrakar, a former personal assistant to former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The searches were part of a money-laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC).
According to sources, a team of five to eight ED officials reached Chandravanshi’s residence in the Old Bhilai area of Durg district around 6 a.m. in two vehicles and examined documents at the premises. Security personnel were deployed outside the residence during the operation.
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