Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The Special Court (PMLA) in Mapusa has received a Prosecution Complaint from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Goa against 36 individuals who are allegedly involved in illegal land grabbing.
The complaint has provided insight into the accused’s unlawful acquisition strategy, particularly with regard to properties whose owners do not reside in the State.
Reportedly, the complaint disclosed that the defendants produced falsified documentation, employing their own identities and those of their associates, in order to unlawfully obtain multiple properties. Additionally, they sold these properties later on, making money off of criminal activity.
“On the basis of multiple FIRs related to the crime filed at various Goa police stations, ED opened an investigation. The accused individuals were found to have participated in the creation of false and counterfeit documents in their names and the names of their associates, illegally obtained multiple properties, and sold some of these to raise money for criminal activity, according to an ED statement on Thursday. The complaint has also been acknowledged by the court.
ED temporarily attached 31 of these properties, valued at approximately Rs 535 crore, on November 23, 2023. Given that the properties were also obtained illegally, the ED also attached them, despite the fact that no complaints or FIRs had been filed.
Rajkumar Maithi and Vikrant Shetty, repeat offenders who were detained by the ED during the course of the investigation due to their suspected involvement in the case, are currently being held in judicial custody. They were earlier taken into custody by the Goa Police’s SIT (Land Grab) in connection with several FIRs against them and others. The SIT is currently looking into 41 of these cases.
