Ed Case

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate seized Rs 23.50 lakh in cash and froze bank deposits worth Rs 2.93 crore after searches in Madhya Pradesh in a fake road construction bills case, the agency said on Sunday.

The searches were conducted on June 19 in Rewa and Jabalpur districts, officials said.

The ED registered a money laundering case based on FIRs filed by the Economic Offences Wing of the Madhya Pradesh police.

The agency said contractors allegedly conspired with officials of the Madhya Pradesh Rural Road Development Authority’s project implementation units and fraudulently obtained government payments for road construction work by submitting forged invoices.

The forged invoices were purportedly issued by Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited and others. The ED said the invoices were worth Rs 55.60 crore, causing a corresponding loss to the government exchequer.