The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Lucknow Zonal Office, searched 14 premises across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Jammu, Madhya Pradesh, the National Capital Region (NCR) and Kolkata on Wednesday, in a money-laundering probe. The investigation entails alleged fraudulent toll collection at multiple National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) toll plazas, confirmed senior ED officials, while sharing details here in Lucknow.
For representation only (HT File Photo)
A senior ED official said the searches, conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, are aimed at unearthing the financial and digital trail of the alleged fraud, identifying beneficiaries and tracing suspected proceeds of crime.
He said the agency’s investigation has allegedly uncovered an organised mechanism designed to bypass the prescribed electronic toll-collection and accounting system at identified toll plazas.
According to the ED, unauthorised software applications named “Mobdata” and “Any” were allegedly developed and deployed to generate and manage toll receipts outside the authorised system. The applications were allegedly used to record vehicle entries and generate receipts, while the corresponding collections were kept outside NHAI’s official accounting mechanism.
The investigation has also revealed alleged sharing of software credentials, portals and transaction-related information among persons managing toll operations, officials said.
Digital forensic examination of devices seized during the probe has identified numerous toll-wise portals, credentials, transaction records and communications allegedly linked to the operation of the unauthorised system. Investigators are examining these digital trails to establish who operated the applications, how collections were routed and who ultimately benefited.
The ED said forensic examination of digital systems, coupled with records obtained from NHAI, has corroborated the alleged deployment of unauthorised software at toll plazas. The findings have prompted the agency to widen its investigation beyond individual toll points and examine the broader network allegedly involved in the collection and diversion of toll revenue.
The case originates from an FIR registered on January 22, 2025. The ED’s Ahmedabad sub-zonal office subsequently registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on May 19, 2025. The agency has not disclosed the names of the premises or persons/entities searched, or the total amount of toll revenue allegedly diverted. The investigation is continuing.
