Patna: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at eight locations across Bihar, Delhi and Rajasthan in connection with an alleged Rs 131-crore illegal sand mining and money laundering case in Bihar’s Banka district. The raids were carried out by the ED’s Patna Zonal Unit under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The searches were primarily focused on Mahadev Enclave Private Limited and its promoters. ED teams conducted simultaneous raids at two locations each in Patna and Banka, one location in Delhi-NCR, four locations in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar, and one in Jaipur. The agency also searched the company’s main office, known as ‘Lal Kothi’, near Katoria Bus Stand in Banka.
According to the ED, the investigation gained momentum after a geospatial analysis report prepared by IIT Patna allegedly revealed large-scale illegal sand mining that had not been reflected in official records maintained by the state’s mining department.
The agency said it had sought a satellite-based geospatial analysis from IIT Patna on October 1, 2024. The analysis allegedly found that Mahadev Enclave had extracted sand worth more than Rs 131 crore between 2015-16 and 2022-23 in violation of mining regulations.
The ED further alleged that despite years of large-scale mining operations, there was no corresponding record of the alleged illegal extraction in the official records of the Mining Department.
According to the agency, Mahadev Enclave is controlled by the Chandak family of Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, and is primarily managed by businessman Ashok Chandak and his son Raghav Chandak.
Following the IIT Patna report, the ED shared the findings with the Bihar government. Based on the evidence, the Department of Mines and Geology registered an FIR against Mahadev Enclave on August 21, 2025.
The investigation into the alleged illegal mining and suspected money laundering is ongoing. The ED has not yet disclosed details of the material seized during Friday’s searches.
