Panjim: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Vikrant Shetty and Rajkumar Mathy under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in alleged land grabbing cases in Goa.
ED has arrested the masterminds of the land grab scam for hiding information and not cooperating in the investigation of the case.
Both Shetty and Mathy were booked under PMLA, 2002 on Thursday in connection with land grab cases in Goa after investigation was initiated on the basis of various FIRs filed by Goa Police against Vikrant Shetty, Mohammed Suhail and Rajkumar Mathy and other accused involved in it. Was arrested under. Illegal occupation of immovable properties across the state.
After this, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Goa Police was also formed.
The Goa government had constituted SIT to investigate the matter. ED investigation revealed that various immovable properties were illegally acquired by the accused persons in their own names or in the names of their associates/relatives. The accused forged documents in the land records to support their claim that the immovable property belonged to their ancestors. On the basis of these forged documents, they were able to get their names updated/inserted in the land records. Some of these properties were sold by the accused persons to buyers from Goa and other states.
A provisional attachment order has already been issued in this case attaching 31 properties worth Rs 39.24 crore. Both accused Shetty and Mathy, along with other associates/accused persons, were instrumental in committing forgery/misappropriation of land records and resulting in illegal grabbing of land on a large scale throughout Goa.
The special court (PMLA) has given both the accused ED custody till February 20. Further investigation is ongoing.
