Jaipur, July 18 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at multiple premises linked to BJP leader Ashok Chandak in Rajasthan as part of its investigation into the alleged "Mahadev Trading" money laundering case. The raids began early in the morning at Chandak's properties in Sriganganagar. ED teams also searched premises linked to his close relatives in Jaipur's Vaishali Nagar area, where officials questioned family members about financial transactions. Chandak, originally from Sriganganagar, was previously associated with the Congress and contested the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections from the party's ticket, finishing second. He later joined the BJP, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to people aware of the matter, ED carried out simultaneous searches at five locations across Rajasthan. Investigators are examining digital records, banking transactions and other financial documents that could provide crucial leads in the case. The searches in Rajasthan were part of a nationwide crackdown conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, with ED teams carrying out raids in several states on Friday. Preliminary information suggests that the operation is being coordinated by the ED's Patna zonal office, which is supervising searches at multiple locations in Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi and other states as part of the ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities linked to Mahadev Trading....