PANJIM: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Vikrant Shetty and Rajkumar Maithi under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with alleged land grabbing cases in Goa.
The ED arrested the masterminds in the land grabbing scam for concealing information and not cooperating with the investigation in this case.
Both – Shetty and Maithi were arrested on Thursday under the PMLA, 2002 in relation to the land grabbing cases in Goa after initiating investigation on the basis of various FIRs registered by Goa Police against Vikrant Shetty, Mohammed Suhail and Rajkumar Maithi and other accused involved in the illegal grabbing of immovable properties across the State.
Subsequently a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Goa Police was also formed.
The SIT was constituted by the Goa government to investigate the matter. ED investigation revealed that various immovable properties were illegally acquired by the accused persons in their names or in the names of their associates/relatives. The accused placed forged documents in the land records for supporting their claim that the immovable properties belonged to their ancestors. Based on these forged documents, they were able to get their names updated/inserted in the land records. Some of these properties were further sold by the accused persons to buyers from Goa and other States.
A Provisional Attachment order in this matter had already been issued earlier attaching 31 properties worth Rs 39.24 crore. Both the accused Shetty and Maithi, along with other associates/accused persons were instrumental in the forging/fudging of the land records and consequent illegal grabbing of vast extents of land all over Goa.
The Special Court (PMLA) has granted ED custody of both the accused till February 20. Further investigation is under progress.
