Permission granted to record statement under PMLA
PANAJI
The North Goa District Court on Wednesday granted permission to the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to interrogate and record the statement of alleged land grab accused Mohammed Suhail, currently lodged in judicial custody at the Central Jail, Colvale, in connection with a money laundering probe.
District Judge, North Goa at Merces, Irshad Agha, allowed the application filed by the investigating agency seeking leave to examine Suhail inside the jail under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Notice of the application was served on the accused as well as his counsel.
In its order, the court directed the Superintendent of Central Jail, Colvale, to produce Suhail before ED officials within the prison premises for recording his statement to facilitate an effective investigation.
The court also permitted Shubham Pensia, Assistant Director (PMLA), Rishibh Rohilla, Assistant Enforcement Officer, and Jai Prakash Meena, Assistant Enforcement Officer, to carry laptops, mobile phones, pen drives, hard drives, printers and other digital devices in the jail for the purpose of recording the statement.
Suhail, identified as a key figure in alleged illegal land dealings, was named in the one-man land grab commission headed by retired Justice V K Jadhav. He is accused of conspiring with associates, including Suleman Siddique Khan, to prepare forged documents in respect of over 93 properties.
Initially booked and arrested by the Special Investigation Team (Land Grab) of Goa Police, Suhail allegedly targeted properties that were nearly abandoned by their original owners and sold them to unsuspecting buyers using fabricated documents.
The ED has stated that Suhail is a habitual offender involved in multiple land-grabbing cases across the State, with several FIRs registered against him by Goa Police.
