The Enforcement Directorate has conducted searches at seven locations across Jharkhand and Odisha as part of a money-laundering investigation involving the Jharkhand State Co-operative Bank. The agency said its Ranchi Zonal Office carried out the searches under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Investigators are examining alleged financial irregularities linked to the bank’s Seraikela branch and businessman Sanjay Kumar Dalmia. Documents and financial records were reportedly examined during the operation as investigators continue tracing the suspected financial trail.
ED Searches Seven Locations in Jharkhand and Odisha in JSCB Scam Probe
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches at seven locations in Jharkhand and Odisha under the PMLA in a money laundering case involving the Jharkhand State Co-operative Bank.
On Friday, September 18, 2026, the Enforcement Directorate’s Ranchi Zonal Office conducted search and seizure operations at seven locations in Jharkhand and Odisha.
The searches are part of the agency's money laundering investigation into an alleged large-scale fraud involving the Seraikela branch of Jharkhand State Co-operative Bank.
The Enforcement Directorate has said businessman Sanjay Kumar Dalmia allegedly committed the fraud in connivance with then officials of the Jharkhand State Co-operative Bank.
The operation involved premises connected to alleged financial irregularities and suspected proceeds of crime related to the bank case, the agency said.
The searches were conducted under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which confers investigative powers in respect of suspected proceeds of crime.
The Enforcement Directorate, in a statement, said that its Ranchi office is conducting search and seizure action under Section 17 of PMLA at seven places.
Sanjay Kumar Dalmia Named In Agency Investigation
Investigators have identified Sanjay Kumar Dalmia in the probe into alleged financial irregularities at the Seraikela branch of the Jharkhand State Co-operative Bank.
The operation reportedly included premises linked to Dalmia, with officials still examining financial records and other material that may be relevant to the investigation.
Enforcement Directorate teams seized documents and financial records from Dalmia’s residence in Seraikela during the operation, local reports said.
The agency has not made the entire findings public, but separate reports have linked the probe to an alleged irregularity relating to loans worth around Rs 35 crore.
“The searches are part of an ongoing investigation and do not amount to evidence of criminal liability on the part of any individual or the allegations of the agency.
The Enforcement Directorate did not immediately provide details of material seized in Friday’s searches, including the identity of all premises covered.
PMLA Probe Focuses On Financial Transactions
Searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act can be used by investigators to look at documents, financial records, digital material and other evidence relevant to suspected proceeds of crime.
The agency’s latest operation is part of the ongoing investigations being conducted by its Ranchi Zonal Office against alleged financial crimes and money laundering in Jharkhand.
For Sprouts News, the development is another major enforcement action over alleged financial improprieties as investigators continue to build the financial trail in the case.
What happens next will depend on the evidence that investigators uncover and what is done under the applicable rules.
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Separate Investigation Into Ranchi RSS Office Attack
The Enforcement Directorate has also separately conducted searches in a probe into a petrol bomb attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh office in Ranchi.
The attack was carried out on June 16, 2026, when petrol bombs were allegedly hurled at the RSS provincial headquarters in Ranchi’s Nivaranpur locality.
According to the reports, officials said that the National Investigation Agency has registered a case in connection with the incident under RC-01/2026/NIA/RNC.
As part of the probe, the Enforcement Directorate later conducted simultaneous searches at four locations in Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand and Karnataka.
In those searches, investigators examined documents, digital devices and other material relating to suspected financial transactions potentially connected with the case.
The agency was also probing whether the Ranchi attack was hatched or executed through alleged illegal funding or money laundering channels.
The RSS attack probe is separate from the Jharkhand State Co-operative Bank probe, both of which are being probed by the Enforcement Directorate’s Ranchi Zonal Office.
Investigation Continues As Agency Reviews Evidence
The JSCB’s latest searches are aimed at assisting investigators in assessing financial transactions, documents and possible proceeds of crime linked to the alleged fraud in the Seraikela branch.
No detailed seizure list or findings from Friday’s raid have been issued by the Enforcement Directorate till the time of filing this report.
If the agency finds evidence to back up allegations of money laundering or other financial misconduct, it could result in additional investigation.
Sprouts News will continue to monitor official updates as the Enforcement Directorate proceeds with its investigation and authorities discuss the evidence and legal proceedings involved.
