ED Attaches ₹2.85 Crore Assets in Money Laundering Case Linked to NHAI Official

The Enforcement Directorate's (ED) Patna Zonal Office announced on Monday that it has attached immovable and movable properties worth Rs 2.85 crore in a case involving National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials. The attached assets include flats and land in Bihar and Delhi, as well as bank balances, gold and silver jewellery, and insurance policy investments.

These assets were acquired by Prabhanshu Shekhar, then Deputy General Manager (DGM) of NHAI in Patna, Bihar, in his own name and in the names of his family members through corrupt practices. The ED initiated its investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on FIRs and chargesheets filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) Anti-Corruption Bureau in Patna. The CBI chargesheet revealed that Shekhar had acquired disproportionate assets worth Rs 4.07 crore.

The ED's PMLA investigation found that Shekhar, during his tenure as DGM, engaged in corrupt practices such as clearing inflated bills, manipulating measurement books, and overlooking the use of sub-standard construction materials by Ashoka Buildcon Limited. These actions generated substantial proceeds of crime.

A portion of these illicit funds was directly deposited into his family members' bank accounts and used for daily expenses. Furthermore, cash proceeds were invested in immovable properties in his wife's name, as well as in movable assets like insurance policies, gold, and silver jewellery for himself and his family.

Further investigation is ongoing.