Patna: Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out searches at eight locations in Bihar, Delhi and Rajasthan in connection with an alleged Rs 131 crore illegal sand mining and money laundering case linked to Banka district.The action, conducted by the ED’s Patna zonal unit under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), targeted Mahadev Enclave Private Limited and premises associated with it. According to agency sources, the company is run by the Chandak family of Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan with Ashok Chandak and his son, Raghav Chandak, named as key persons in the investigation.The ED probe found that between the 2015-16 and 2022-23 financial years, the company allegedly carried out large-scale sand mining at ghats in Banka in violation of rules. The agency claimed that the state mining department had no records of the extraction.The investigation gained momentum in Oct 2024 after IIT Patna conducted a geospatial analysis using satellite imagery. According to official sources, the study revealed illegal sand mining worth more than Rs 131 crore.Based on the IIT report and other evidence, the ED submitted a report under Section 66(2) of the PMLA to the Bihar State Mining Corporation Limited. Subsequently, the mines and geology department lodged an FIR on Aug 21, 2025, following which the agency intensified its money laundering probe.Searches were conducted at two locations in Banka, one in Delhi-NCR, four in Sri Ganganagar and one in Jaipur. In Banka, the main office of Mahadev Enclave, located at Lal Kothi near Katoria bus stand, was sealed, while searches continued till the filing of the report.During the raids, the ED seized financial documents, digital records and other evidence, which are being examined to trace the money trail and identify other beneficiaries. The agency has not issued any official statement on the operation.
