The inquiry into large-scale land acquisition connected to the Bharatmala Project has found numerous irregularities. The authorities have so far identified 150 suspects, along with 130 accounts that look suspicious, with most of those accounts being linked to ICICI Bank branches in Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh. At present, the ACB and EOW are reviewing these accounts to assess the details of the money flows through them.
Suspects are said to have come from Mahasamund and Abhanpur. This month alone, the ACB-EOW carried out more than a dozen raids and made several arrests. Those already in custody are Kedar Tiwari, Uma Tiwari, Harmeet Singh Khanuja and Vijay Jain, all business partners.
Authorities found evidence of 150 suspect account holders through important documents captured during the raids and interrogations. Of particular concern, the probe proved that around two dozen farmers’ compensation payments went into accounts controlled by Harmeet Singh, which could mean both misappropriation and fraud.
The Bharatmala Project includes plans to build a highway spanning more than 950 km, from Raipur to Visakhapatnam. The development will construct a four-lane road between Raipur and Visakhapatnam and a stretch with six lanes from Durg to Arang. To accomplish this, official authorities purchased land from local farmers according to the Land Acquisition Act of 2013.
Both compensation and a solatium are given to people harmed by nuclear power under the Atomic Energy Act. Should land worth ₹5 lakh be bought, the farmer should be given ₹10 lakh along with the solatium.
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