New Delhi, Jun 21 (PTI) About Rs 23 lakh in cash was seized and deposits worth about Rs 3 crore were frozen after ED searches in Madhya Pradesh in a case related to submission of "fake bills" in road construction works done by the state authority, the agency said on Sunday.

The raids were conducted on June 19 in Rewa and Jabalpur districts.

A case was filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), taking cognisance of the FIRs registered by the Economic Offences Wing of the state police in this matter.

The contractors allegedly conspired with the officials of the Madhya Pradesh Rural Road Development Authority project implementation units and "fraudulently" obtained government payments for road construction work by submitting "forged" and "fabricated" invoices of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, among others, the central agency said.

These invoices were to the tune of Rs 55.60 crore and therefore caused corresponding financial loss to the government exchequer, the ED said.

Bills pertaining to the oil companies were "forged", it said.

Rs 23.50 lakh in cash was seized, and bank deposits of Rs 2.93 crore were frozen during the searches, the agency added. PTI NES PRK

Fake road construction bills trigger money laundering probe linked to forged invoices and alleged wrongful government payments. Enforcement Directorate action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was taken on the basis of FIRs registered by the Economic Offences Wing concerning alleged submission of fake bills in road construction works of the Madhya Pradesh Rural Road Development Authority. Contractors were said to have conspired with project implementation unit officials and fraudulently obtained government payments by using forged and fabricated invoices purportedly issued in the names of oil companies.