ED attached Immovable Properties worth Rs.11.82 Crore under PMLA Act

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs. 11.82 Crore in possession of Estevan D’Souza, Moses Fernandes and Samir Korgaonkar in connection with a Money laundering investigation conducted under PMLA, 2002 related to illegal grabbing of land in Goa.

The ED launched an inquiry based on FIRs filed by P.S. Porvorim and the Economic Offence Cell (EOC), Goa, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, relating to illegally seizing land/properties by impersonating the original owner of the property and therefore defrauding the buyers.

According to the ED investigation, the accused persons identified properties where the original owner of the property had died without a legal heir or the legal heir was living outside India with the purpose of illegally acquiring the land.

After identifying the properties that fit the description, the accused committed crimes punishable under sections 419, 420, and 471 of the IPC by forgery and impersonating the original owner of the property, and then illegally taking possession of these properties by executing a sale deed or irreversible power of attorney in their own name.

Further investigation is under progress.