The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday reportedly conducted raids at multiple locations in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh as part of an ongoing money laundering probe linked to the widening of National Highway-74 and NH-125.
The searches targeted properties associated with a senior Uttarakhand officer accused of manipulating land compensation processes to siphon off government funds.
According to official sources, reported by Deccan Herald, at least seven sites connected to the officer were searched under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case stems from a 2017 FIR registered by Uttarakhand Police, which was followed by a chargesheet implicating government officials, landowners, and middlemen.
Investigators allege that the officer, while serving as the competent authority for land acquisition, approved backdated orders that changed the categorization of agricultural land to non-agricultural use. This manipulation, done under Section 143 of the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act of 1950, led to inflated compensation payouts—causing a reported ₹162.5 crore loss to the exchequer.
The ED has already filed a chargesheet in the case in 2024 but is now seeking additional evidence to bolster its investigation. The agency earlier stated that public servants had conspired with local landowners and intermediaries to claim higher compensation rates based on forged or retroactively modified documents.
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