Chandigarh, Sept 29: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Chandigarh Zonal Office-II, conducted searches at 14 premises across Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula as part of its money laundering investigation into the alleged embezzlement of Rs 645 crore from bank accounts linked to the Haryana government, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) and other government accounts. he ED initiated an investigation under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, on the basis of an FIR registered by the Haryana Police in February 2026 concerning discrepancies in the balances of bank accounts of the Development and Panchayat Department, Haryana, maintained with IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank.
The searches covered various jewellers and their associated entities, including Malik Jewellers, KLG Jewels and its associate entities, M.B. Gold Traders, Sham Jewellers and Sunder Jewellers, besides Gourav Kansal, who allegedly acted as a middleman in routing and layering the proceeds of crime (PoC).
The investigation has revealed that the allegedly embezzled public funds were routed and layered through the bank accounts of various jewellers and projected as business transactions.
These transactions were allegedly carried out in connivance with the accused persons to conceal and project the proceeds of crime as legitimate funds.
