BENGALURU: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Panaji Zonal Office, Goa, on July 16 arrested Karwar resident and history-sheeter Siddique Khan alias Suleman Khan (55), son of late Mohammed Khan, for his alleged involvement in large-scale land grabbing cases of high value in Goa.
“Khan is the mastermind and principal beneficiary of an organised syndicate engaged in the large-scale grabbing of around 25 hectares (about 62.5 acres) of high-value immovable properties in Goa through forged and fabricated title documents,” the ED stated in an official statement on Friday.
Goa cops had booked multiple criminal cases against accused
Siddique Khan was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
ED had initiated the money laundering investigation on the basis of multiple criminal cases registered by Goa Police against the accused and his associates for offences of forgery, cheating and fraudulent transfer of immovable properties, which are scheduled offences under the PMLA. Goa Police has filed chargesheets in the said cases.
“Investigation conducted by ED under the PMLA has revealed that the syndicate fabricated forged and antedated sale deeds and title documents and used them to fraudulently mutate and transfer ownership of valuable land parcels in official land records in favour of the accused and his associates,” the central law enforcement agency added.
“The properties so grabbed were thereafter sold, developed or sought to be monetised, thereby generating substantial Proceeds of Crime (PoC), which were projected as untainted property.
The immovable properties fraudulently acquired and held by/on behalf of the accused aggregate to approximately 25 hectares (about 62.5 acres) of high-value land. As no genuine consideration was ever paid and the title was obtained purely through forgery, the PoC have been provisionally estimated at not less than Rs 300 crore, subject to final quantification,” ED stated.
After his arrest, Khan was produced before the Special Court, North Goa, and remanded in five days’ ED custody for ‘custodial interrogation’ and to unearth the wider conspiracy, the agency added.