ED arrests 2 individuals in Goa money laundering case related to land acquisition

PTI, Feb 16, 2024, 8:49 PM IST

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The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has arrested two persons in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to alleged land grabbing in Goa.

Vikrant Shetty and Rajkumar Maithi were taken into custody on Thursday and a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Panaji sent them to ED custody till February 20, it said in a statement.

The ED case stems from various FIRs registered by Goa Police against Shetty, Maithi, Mohammed Suhail and others for their alleged involvement in illegal grabbing of immovable properties across Goa.

A special investigation team (SIT) of Goa Police was formed by the state government to investigate the matter, the ED said.

Shetty and Maithi, along with their associates and other accused, were instrumental in the ”forging and fudging” of land records for grabbing vast extent of land all over Goa, the agency said.

Probe found various immovable properties were ”illegally acquired” by the accused in their names or in the names of their associates and relatives, the ED charged.

The accused placed ”forged” documents in the land records for supporting their claim that the immovable properties belonged to their ancestors, it said.

”Based on these forged documents, they were able to get their names updated or inserted in the land records. Some of these properties were sold by the accused to buyers from Goa and other states,” the ED said.

A total of 31 properties worth Rs 39.24 crore have been attached in this case earlier by the ED.