More than 16 hours into the ongoing search and seizure operations, it is reliably learnt that the Enforcement Directorate Raipur Zonal Office (ED-RPZO) has recovered 4 kilogram yellow metal including bullion and jewellery valued at nearly Rs 6 crore along with silver weighing 35 kilogram worth Rs 2.15 crore in the Bharatmala land compensation probe across Chhattisgarh, though no official statement has been issued so far. The coordinated operation, spanning Kurud in Dhamtari district and Abhanpur in Raipur, covered four premises linked to individuals under scrutiny for suspected diversion of compensation funds under the Raipur–Visakhapatnam Economic Corridor project. The searches began early morning and continued through the day, marking a decisive escalation in the ongoing money laundering investigation.

 

At premises associated with land trader Gopal Gandhi in Abhanpur, ED teams seized substantial quantities of bullion and jewellery assessed at around Rs 6 crore at prevailing market rates, along with silver valued at Rs 2.15 crore. Investigators also secured unaccounted cash receipts, vouchers and a significant volume of incriminating documents pointing towards suspected financial layering and movement of proceeds of crime. The search extended to properties linked to Gandhi’s family members, including Pankaj Gandhi and others. Search operations at premises linked to Roshan Chandrakar, former treasurer of the Rice Mill Association, were concluded after detailed verification of records and document scrutiny, marking the first closure point in the day-long operation. In contrast, the residence of Bhupendra Chandrakar, cousin of former BJP minister Ajay Chandrakar, near Sarojini Chowk in Kurud remained under active search at the time of filing this report.

 

ED officials continued examination of digital and documentary evidence under a strict CRPF security cordon, with access denied to all outsiders, including media personnel. The operation is anchored in inputs from the State Economic Offences Investigation and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SEOIACB), which has flagged large-scale irregularities in compensation disbursal through alleged manipulation of land records. The broader probe has already seen attachment of Rs 23.35 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on March 16, 2025, with findings indicating siphoning of Rs 27.05 crore. Earlier, on February 11, 2026, SEOIACB arrested two absconding revenue officials, then Abhanpur Tehsildar Shashikant Kurre and Gobra-Nawapara Nayab Tehsildar Lakheshwar Prasad Kiran, after their bail pleas were rejected by the Supreme Court. Investigators stated that both officials allegedly facilitated forged revenue records and backdated entries, enabling inflated compensation payouts and causing substantial losses to the State exchequer.

 

Further strengthening the prosecution case, a supplementary chargesheet filed on January 24, 2026 named three patwaris, Dinesh Patel, Lekhram Dewangan and Basanti Ghritlahre, detailing manipulation at the award stage of land acquisition. The chargesheet highlighted fraudulent subdivision of land parcels and diversion of compensation to ineligible beneficiaries, resulting in an estimated loss of nearly Rs 40 crore. Officials indicated that analysis of seized material is ongoing and further disclosures are expected as scrutiny deepens, even as ED-RPZO has yet to formally quantify the total seizure.