The investigation into the alleged compensation scam involving land acquisition for the Raipur-Visakhapatnam National Highway has intensified. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached movable and immovable assets worth ₹12.78 crore and filed a supplementary prosecution complaint against 14 individuals in a special court in connection with the money laundering case.
The ED has taken significant action regarding the land acquisition compensation scam under the Bharatmala Project. The agency has provisionally attached 62 assets valued at ₹12.78 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The attached assets include land and buildings, as well as shares and mutual fund investments worth approximately ₹4.69 crore. The ED issued the provisional attachment order on July 31, 2026. The agency claims that these assets were acquired using illicit funds generated through alleged irregularities in land acquisition compensation.
In this matter, the ED has also filed a supplementary prosecution complaint against 14 individuals, including Jai Prakash Gandhi, in the special court at Raipur. The investigative agency alleges that the accused obtained excess compensation amounting to crores of rupees by using forged documents and manipulating revenue records, subsequently investing the proceeds into various financial instruments and assets. The investigation was initiated based on FIRs registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). The probe revealed that land was purchased after the notification was issued and subdivided into smaller plots to exponentially increase the compensation amount; sale deeds and gift deeds executed in the names of family members were utilized for this purpose.
According to the ED, while Jai Prakash Gandhi and his family were entitled to legitimate compensation of approximately ₹56.76 lakh, they received a payout of around ₹9.83 crore. The agency claims that an illicit gain of approximately ₹9.27 crore was realized through this process. In another aspect of the investigation, Uma Tiwari is accused of claiming compensation amounting to approximately ₹2.13 crore by posing as the adopted daughter of the landowner, using forged revenue documents.
The ED has previously taken action in this case; the agency arrested Jai Prakash Gandhi in June 2026. Earlier raids had resulted in the seizure of cash, silver, and other assets worth crores of rupees. Following this latest action, assets totaling approximately ₹36.14 crore have been attached in the case so far. The agency has clarified that the investigation is ongoing.
