Fri Jan 24 02:05:15 UTC 2025: ## ED Arrests Three Advocates in Patna Railway Claims Tribunal Scam

**Patna, January 24, 2025** – The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a major crackdown on a money laundering scheme allegedly linked to the Patna Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT), arresting three advocates and conducting searches at multiple locations.

The raids, carried out in Patna, Nalanda, and Mangaluru, targeted properties linked to Judge R.K. Mittal and several lawyers. Bidyanand Singh, Parmanand Sinha, and Vijay Kumar were arrested on Wednesday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and subsequently remanded to judicial custody.

The ED’s investigation stems from FIRs filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), alleging widespread irregularities in the processing of death claim cases by the RCT. The investigation revealed that claimants received only a fraction of their awarded compensation, with the majority siphoned off by a conspiracy involving lawyers and potentially the judge.

The ED alleges that Bidyanand Singh and his associates handled approximately 900 cases presided over by Judge Mittal, involving roughly ₹50 crore in compensation. They allegedly opened bank accounts in claimants’ names without their knowledge, transferring the funds and providing only a portion to the actual claimants.

Searches yielded assets allegedly acquired through the scheme, along with crucial documents including signed blank cheques and papers from claimants. The ED has stated that the investigation is ongoing.

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