A central enforcement agency conducted searches at 13 locations as part of a money-laundering investigation linked to the unauthorised construction of 41 buildings on 60 acres of land that had been set aside for sewage treatment and waste-management facilities.

According to officials, the builders had put up these structures using falsified documents, fabricated approvals and fraudulent sale agreements.

The searches were carried out at the premises of a senior town-planning official from the local municipal corporation and other individuals previously linked to corruption and forgery cases involving illegal constructions. The money-laundering case was initiated on the basis of multiple complaints filed by homebuyers who were allegedly defrauded.

Earlier, affected homebuyers had approached the courts against demolition action taken by the local authorities but were not granted relief. The highest court also declined to intervene, directing the homebuyers to approach the government for rehabilitation and instructing local authorities to proceed with demolishing the structures built on the reserved land.

It was alleged that the main accused had illegally occupied plots, constructed buildings without permission using falsified documents and sold them to unsuspecting low-income families. Part of the land was wetland, while the remaining portion consisted of privately owned plots that had been reserved in the 2010 development plan for waste-management and sewage-treatment facilities.

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