The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at multiple premises linked to BJP leader Ashok Chandak in Rajasthan as part of its investigation into the alleged Mahadev Trading money laundering case. The searches, which formed part of a nationwide crackdown under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), covered locations in Rajasthan and several other states.
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Neither the Enforcement Directorate nor the local police had issued an official statement or disclosed details of any cash, valuables or documents seized during the raids. Given the scale of the operation, officials said the searches were likely to continue until late in the evening, after which further details may be released.
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The raids began early in the day at Chandak’s locations in Sriganganagar. ED teams also searched properties linked to his close relatives in Jaipur’s Vaishali Nagar area, where officials questioned family members about financial transactions.
Chandak, a native of Sriganganagar, was previously associated with the Congress and contested the 2018 Rajasthan assembly elections on the party’s ticket, finishing second. He later joined the BJP after receiving ED notices, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
During the searches, officials reportedly seized computer hard drives, laptops, mobile phones and locker keys for forensic examination. They are also collecting documents related to suspected money transfers and alleged tax evasion linked to the case.
The search operation was continuing till the filing of this report.
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According to sources, the ED carried out simultaneous searches at five locations across Rajasthan. The agency is said to have planned the operation to prevent the destruction of digital and documentary evidence. Investigators are examining digital records, banking transactions and other financial documents that could provide crucial leads in the case.
The Rajasthan searches were part of a nationwide operation conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with ED teams carrying out raids in several states on Friday.
Preliminary information suggests the operation is being coordinated by the ED’s Patna zonal office, which is supervising searches at multiple locations in Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi and other states as part of the ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities linked to Mahadev Trading.
