Raipur, March 16 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Raipur Zonal Office, has provisionally attached immovable properties worth approximately Rs 80.36 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The attachment, effected on March 13, 2026, relates to an alleged scam in the procurement and supply of medical equipment and reagents to the Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation Limited (CGMSCL), ED said in a statement.

The agency launched the investigation based on an FIR and charge-sheet filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offences Wing against M/s Mokish Corporation (also referred to as Mokshit Corporation) and senior officials of the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) and CGMSCL.

It is alleged that Shashank Chopda, partner in M/s Mokish Corporation, colluded with DHS and CGMSCL officials to manipulate tender processes. They reportedly fabricated demand, supplied equipment and reagents at highly inflated prices, and caused substantial loss to the state exchequer while generating illegal gains for themselves and associates, it said.

The probe under PMLA revealed that proceeds of crime were generated through the scheduled offence of procurement and supply at exorbitant prices by rigging tenders in collusion with public officials.

Shashank Chopda, with assistance from associates, allegedly layered these proceeds through multiple entities and firms. Bogus service and maintenance agreements were entered into, and substantial amounts were withdrawn in cash or used for illegal gratification and asset acquisition.

To prevent dissipation of these proceeds of crime, the ED attached properties worth Rs 80.36 crore on March 13, 2026, under Section 5 of the PMLA.

The attached assets include residential plots, flats, factories, and other immovable properties in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, held in the names of the accused persons and linked entities, believed to have been acquired from the illicit funds.

Earlier search and seizure operations under Section 17 of the PMLA targeted multiple locations linked to the accused and associates, resulting in seizure or freezing of assets exceeding Rs 43 crore. These included high-end vehicles such as Porsche, Mercedes, and Mini Cooper, seized on January 14, 2026.

Shashank Chopda was arrested on January 19, 2026.

With the latest provisional attachment, the total value of properties attached, seized, or frozen in the case has reached approximately Rs 123 crore.

The investigation remains ongoing to trace further proceeds of crime and identify additional involved parties.

This development adds to the scrutiny of procurement irregularities in Chhattisgarh’s health sector, where large-scale tenders for medical supplies have faced allegations of over-invoicing and cartelisation in recent years.

–IANS

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