ED conducts raids in Bhopal, Hyd in MP e-tendering racket case

New Delhi: The ED has conducted searches at multiple locations in Bhopal, Hyderabad and Bengaluru as part of its money laundering probe in the over Rs 3,000-crore alleged e-tender rigging racket of Madhya Pradesh, official sources said on Thursday.

They said the agency launched the searches to collect evidence early this week at locations of various suspects involved in the case, and the action is being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering

Act (PMLA).

At least 15-16 locations in Bhopal, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru have been searched, including that of the former chief secretary of Madhya Pradesh. Searches were underway at some places on Thursday, the

sources said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a criminal case last year to probe the instance where it was alleged that the e-tender portal of the state government was hacked to manipulate tenders and grab contracts, and it was allegedly done when the BJP was in power.

A case was first filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Madhya Pradesh Police when the previous Congress government under chief minister Kamal Nath was in power in the state. The ED studied this FIR to file the case under the PMLA.