The Enforcement Directorate’s Indore Sub-Zonal Office apprehended three main suspects linked to the multi-crore Indore Municipal Corporation fake bill scandal. Abhay Singh Rathore, Mohd. Zakir, and Rahul Badera were taken into custody on June 1 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Following their arrest, they were presented before the Indore Special PMLA Court, which sanctioned the ED to detain them until June 5 for further interrogation.
The probe by the Enforcement Directorate was initiated based on several FIRs and charge sheets filed by the MG Road police Station in Indore under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. The cases revolve around the illicit withdrawal of funds from the Indore Municipal Corporation treasury through counterfeit bills, falsified work orders, fabricated records, and fictitious project works. It was uncovered during the investigation that between 2018 and 2023, approximately Rs 119.53 crore worth of fake bills were submitted to the corporation for non-existent projects.
The total amount involved in the scam is estimated at around Rs 92.76 crore, deemed as proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Abhay Singh Rathore, an assistant engineer at the Indore Municipal Corporation, is identified as a key conspirator who orchestrated the fabrication of work orders. Contractors Mohd Zakir and Rahul Badera, operating through their controlled firms, received about Rs 71.78 crore against these fraudulent bills. The ED has taken actions to trace laundered funds and is actively investigating to uncover the complete money trail.
