PANAJI
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Goa has unearthed a massive Rs 1,600 crore land scam in Goa after extensive search operations across several locations.
According to the ED, the searches, carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, revealed a widespread conspiracy involving fraudulent land grabs in prime real estate zones including Anjuna, Arpora and Assagao in Bardez taluka.
The scam’s alleged mastermind Rohan Harmalkar, orchestrated a network of impersonators and forged documents to illegally sell land owned by private individuals and family estates.
"Harmalkar is a key mastermind, who along with other associates resorted to a large-scale conspiracy to illegally appropriate land belonging to rightful owners through fraudulent means including impersonation, creation of fake documents, tampering with revenue records, etc. These properties, originally owned by individuals and family estates, were unlawfully sold without their consent, causing serious financial and legal distress to such victims," it stated.
Officials further said that they recovered incriminating documents during the raids with forged property papers alone valued at over Rs 1,000 crore at current market rates.
In addition to the fake documentation, the agency seized original property papers worth more than Rs 600 crore, which are believed to be connected to the laundering of illicit profits. These proceeds of crime were allegedly routed through a chain of individuals and benami entities, eventually being invested in real estate, luxury vehicles, and other high-value assets.
The ED confirmed that its investigation is ongoing and efforts are being made to trace the money trail, identify other beneficiaries, and ascertain the involvement of government officials in facilitating the illegal transactions.
