The Enforcement Directorate’s Dehradun Sub-Zonal Office has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties valued at Rs 13.89 crore in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation related to the alleged NH-74 widening scam in Uttarakhand. This action was taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, to identify and attach proceeds of crime from fraudulent land compensation claims.
The ED’s investigation, based on an FIR registered at Pantnagar Police Station, revealed that accused individuals obtained back-dated orders under the Uttar Pradesh Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950. These orders were allegedly incorporated into official records later, altering the classification of agricultural land and resulting in excess compensation for the widening of National Highway-74.
Proceeds of crime were found to be retained by the accused or transferred to bank accounts of their relatives and associates to conceal illicit funds. The agency issued a Provisional Attachment Order attaching assets worth Rs 13.89 crore linked to the accused and their associates, marking the fourth provisional attachment in the case.
