The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized the mobile phone of Omkar Palyekar to gather additional Call Detail Records (CDRs) after questioning him in connection with an illegal concrete structure being built on Survey No 225/3 in Anjuna. The land was seized by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 (15 of 2003). “After reading the O Heraldo report ‘Construction continues on ED-attached Anjuna land even as authorities look away’ (December 22. 2025), we summoned Palyekar to our office and have primarily attached his mobile for further investigation, disclosed an ED source on condition of anonymity.
“Apart from his role in land grab cases being in-vestigated by this department, we are investigating if there is a drugs angle. In-come from drugs falls under the purview of PMLA, and any information obtained will be shared with the local police and the NCB,” the source added. Omkar Palyekar and Ram-chandra Dabholkar have come under the ED’s radar for their alleged role in land grabbing in three prop-erties, two of which have already been sealed.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
As reported by O Heraldo, a concrete structure with a metal sheath on top has been built across nearly 1,150 square metres of land in Survey No 225/3, which is under ED attachment.
“We thank the paper for bringing this irregularity to our notice, but at the same time must admit that we are severely understaffed to keep an eye on everything that is happening. Our primary role is to investigate and catch,” said the senior ED official.
While Palyekar and Dabholkar are being investigated over how their names appeared in Form I & XIV records of two properties- Survey No 40/2 in Badem and Survey No 215/6 in Anjuna in the land grab case being probed by the ED, the name of Ramchandra Dabholkar also figures In Survey No 225/3, where the illegal construction is underway. ED officials visited Survey No 225/3 the day after the O Heraldo report was published and conducted a preliminary inspection. Based on a two-page report submitted thereafter, the ED on December 24, 2025, sent a three-page letter to the Superintendent of Police (SP), North Goa, detailing all the irregularities.
The ED complaint, accompanied by photographs of the construction on the attached land, outlines the action required, noting that no permission of any kind was sought to build a permanent structure on land seized by the agency.
“ED has no authority to go and demolish anything without following the laws of the land. It is for the authorities now to act on our complaint sent to the SP of police,” the ED source explained.
“My office is yet to receive any letter from the ED. The delay could be because of the intervening Christmas holiday. But be assured that as soon as my office gets the letter, if there is any action we need to take, the same will be done,” said Harish Madkaikar, Superintendent of Police, North Goa
“No one has the right to build anything permanent or temporary on land seized by us. We have been keeping an eye on the activities of Palyekar and Dabholkar, and though the former tried to be elusive during questioning, we shall untie the knots after studying his call records,” admitted a member of the ED’s intelligence unit.
While the structure built on ED-attached land has a met-al sheath covering the top, the remaining open-air structure falls under another survey number Locals have begun to question how the organisers expect permission from authorities for a four-day event scheduled to begin on December 28, 2025, where actor Nora Fatehi is slated to perform especially when construction work is still ongoing. Festival entry is reportedly priced at Rs 10,000, with early-bird tickets for the Nora Fatehi show priced at Rs 2,000 for women and Rs 3,000 for men.
“The Panchayat has not given any permission for any function on land seized by the ED. I think previously there was some permission given on that land, but it has lapsed. and nothing has been given since,” disclosed Anjuna Sarpanch Surendra Govekar. “The Panchayat, therefore, is not in a position to give permission for any Nora Fatehi show at the place,” Govekar added.
“The loss of 25 lives due to the greed of a few spoiled our Christmas. What is going on, on land under the care of the ED, and on the adjoining survey numbers, is worrisome. It is not too late for the government to intervene,” said activist Anna Fernandes.
