The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out simultaneous raids at nine locations across Raipur and Mahasamund districts in Chhattisgarh in early this morning as part of a money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in compensation payments for land acquisition under the Bharatmala Project.

According to sources, teams arrived at various premises linked to private individuals, their associates, and certain government officials. The operation, conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), focuses on suspected fraud in disbursing compensation for the Raipur-Visakhapatnam economic corridor, a key segment of the national highway development initiative.

Officials are scrutinising financial records and documents at the targeted sites, with the searches continuing throughout the day in coordination with local police, sources said. This action follows earlier investigations by state agencies into similar complaints of embezzlement running into crores during the land acquisition phase between 2020 and 2024.

The state anti-corruption bureau had previously conducted raids and filed charge-sheets in related matters, uncovering evidence of manipulated claims and inflated payouts that allegedly siphoned public funds meant for affected landowners, said the sources.

The Bharatmala Pariyojana, launched by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in 2017-18, aims to develop around 34,800 kilometres of economic corridors, along with feeder routes, inter-corridors, national highway links, coastal roads, and port connectivity infrastructure. The project is designed to optimise freight movement, reduce logistics costs, and enhance connectivity across the country by prioritising high-traffic routes.

While no official statement detailing recoveries or arrests has been issued yet by the Enforcement Directorate related to raids, search etc, sources indicate the raids are aimed at tracing proceeds of crime generated through the alleged irregularities.

The involvement of middlemen, brokers, and officials in facilitating undue benefits to select parties has been a focal point of the probe. Such enforcement actions underscore growing scrutiny over transparency in large-scale infrastructure projects, where land acquisition often becomes a flashpoint for corruption allegations.

Residents in affected areas have long raised concerns about fair compensation and delays, adding pressure on authorities to ensure accountability. As the searches progressed, security was tightened around the locations to prevent any interference.

The outcome of Monday's operations is expected to provide further insights into the scale of the alleged malpractice, potentially leading to attachments of assets or legal action against those found culpable.