PANJIM: The ambit of the investigations in the multiple and growing number of land grab cases has been widened to factor in the growing suspicion of large-scale money laundering with the proceeds of land scam.
The Special Investigative Team (SIT) has noticed that the monetary proceeds from the land grabbing have been laundered, including out of the country. The SIT has therefore passed on the information of all the land-grabbing cases to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in order to investigate the suspicions of money laundering.
Nidhin Valsan, SP the head of SIT told Herald that 45 cases of land grabbing are under investigation by the Goa Police (SIT). Most of the complaints that have been received are from Bardez taluka. The SIT has already arrested 19 persons in connection with these illegal acts of grabbing lands of unsuspecting Goans.
He said, “We have noticed transactions that money was laundered out. However, it is difficult for us to find the trail of the money. The ED, with its expertise & competency in investigating such cases is there. We have sent all the cases to the ED; we are yet to know how many cases they have registered.”
Meanwhile, SP Valsan said that the reallocation of cases to new investigation officers will be done subsequently as transferred police inspectors of the Crime Branch are being relieved.
It may be recalled that the State was rocked by a series of complaints by Goans that their lands were fraudulently grabbed by agents and middlemen with the help of government authorities.
The government had formed the SIT to investigate the land grabbing cases. The SIT arrested several government servants who were involved. The SIT has sought details of sale deeds from the offices of Sub Registrars to ascertain the manner in which the offence was committed.
