ED Conducts Searches In Rs 131 Crore Bihar Illegal Sand Mining Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Patna, is conducting search operations under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with alleged illegal sand mining by M/s Mahadev Enclave Pvt Ltd, Banka, Bihar.

Ashok Chandak and his son, Raghav Chandak, head the Chandak family of Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, which controls the company.

During the investigation, the ED gathered that M/s Mahadev Enclave Pvt Ltd had allegedly carried out illegal sand mining on a large scale, which was not reported or noticed by the State Mining Department.

To assess the extent of the excavation, the ED, Patna, requested IIT Patna to undertake a geospatial analysis of sand ghats of rivers in Banka district through a letter dated October 1, 2024.

The IIT Patna report found that the company had allegedly excavated sand illegally, with the approximate value of the illegally mined sand estimated at more than Rs. 131 crore during FY 2015-16 to FY 2022-23.

The ED shared the findings with the Managing Director of Bihar State Mining Corporation Limited under Section 66(2) of the PMLA.

Based on the information, the Mines and Geology Department, Government of Bihar, registered FIR No 365/2025 dated August 21, 2025, which is currently under investigation.

As part of the ongoing probe, the ED is conducting searches at eight locations across four states, including two locations in Bihar (Banka and Patna), one in Delhi, four in Sri Ganganagar, and one in Jaipur.

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