Raipur, March 16 (NationPress) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally seized assets valued at Rs 23.35 crore, both movable and immovable, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in relation to an alleged fraud involving land acquisition compensation for the Raipur–Visakhapatnam National Highway project as part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

This investigation was prompted by an FIR lodged by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW)/Anti-Corruption Bureau in Chhattisgarh.

A charge sheet has been submitted to the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act) in Raipur against Harmeet Singh Khunjia—also known as Harmeet Singh Khanuja in official records—and other individuals, under applicable sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, according to the ED's statement.

The agency claims a criminal conspiracy was allegedly devised involving land brokers, private citizens, and some public officials.

The accused are purported to have altered the land acquisition process to gain excessive compensation for the land appropriated for the highway.

After a notification was issued on January 30, 2020, land parcels were reportedly subdivided deceitfully by falsifying and backdating revenue records, which artificially inflated the compensation amounts payable by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Key figures, including Harmeet Singh Khunjia, Khemraj Koshele, Punuram Deshlahare, and Kundan Baghel, allegedly persuaded landowners to sign affidavits, applications, and revenue documents.

With the help of certain government officials, they purportedly enabled the manipulation of land records, resulting in the disbursement of compensation amounts significantly surpassing legitimate entitlements.

Numerous bank accounts were opened in the names of landowners, where the inflated compensation amounts were deposited.

Using pre-signed blank cheques and forged banking documents, a substantial portion of the funds was transferred to accounts controlled by Harmeet Singh Khunjia, his relatives, associates, and affiliated entities.

The ED reported that while the landowners received either their rightful compensation or a slightly higher sum, the diverted funds were allegedly laundered.

The agency traced Rs 27.05 crore as proceeds of crime, of which properties worth Rs 23.35 crore have been provisionally attached under Section 5 of the PMLA.

This attachment encompasses various movable and immovable assets linked to the accused.

The ED indicated that further investigations are ongoing to reveal the complete scope of the alleged conspiracy and to identify additional beneficiaries.

The Bharatmala Pariyojana, a flagship national highway development initiative, has previously faced scrutiny in Chhattisgarh over alleged irregularities in land compensation, with earlier raids and seizures reported in late 2025 and early 2026.