The Goa Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Panaji had filed a prosecution complaint before the Special Court (Prevention of Money Laundering Act or PMLA), Mapusa, on April 12 under the PMLA, 2002 in a money laundering case against 36 persons in a matter of illegal land grabbing in Goa. The special court has taken cognisance of the prosecution’s complaint on May 13, 2024, the ED said on Thursday in a press statement.
The ED initiated the investigation on the basis of various First Information Reports (FIRs) on illegal land grabbing registered in different police stations in Goa. “Further, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the land grab case has been formed by the Goa Police to investigate all such illegal land grabbing cases in Goa. The SIT is investigating 41 such land grabbing cases,” an official of the ED said.
The investigation revealed that the accused persons were involved in creating forged documents in their own names and those of their associates, illegally acquiring several properties, selling some of these properties, and generating proceeds of crime.
Earlier, on November 23, 2023, the ED had attached 31 such properties, having an approximate value of ₹535 crore, via a provisional attachment order. “Further properties, in respect of which [there are] no complaints and FIRs, were also attached by the ED as they were illegally acquired properties. Two persons, namely, Rajkumar Maithi and Vikrant Shetty, were arrested by the ED during the course of the investigation for their involvement in illegal land grabbing in Goa, and are presently in judicial custody,” officials of the ED said.
Further investigation in the case is underway.
