Daijiworld Media Network - Dehradun
Dehradun, Sep 7: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested the alleged mastermind behind a large-scale land fraud in Dehradun and secured five-day custody of Naveen Kumar Mittal for questioning in connection with proceeds of crime amounting to around Rs 3.24 crore.
Mittal was arrested by the ED's Dehradun office on September 3 under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. He was subsequently produced before the Special Court (PMLA), Dehradun, which remanded him to five days of ED custody.
The ED investigation was launched based on multiple FIRs registered by the Uttarakhand Police concerning fabrication of land records and fraudulent sale of land in Dehradun. Charge sheets have so far been filed in two FIRs, naming Mittal as the prime accused and principal beneficiary of the alleged fraud, the agency said.
The ED has already filed a prosecution complaint against Humayun Parvez, Mohd Vakil and Mukesh Kumar Gupta before the Special Court (PMLA), Dehradun.
According to the agency, the investigation revealed that Mittal allegedly projected a co-accused as the rightful owner of land using forged documents and subsequently sold the property to unsuspecting buyers.
The sale proceeds, including alleged proceeds of crime of Rs 3.24 crore, were deposited into a bank account opened in the name of the co-accused and later transferred to entities allegedly controlled by Mittal.
Forensic examination of the original bank records by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), New Delhi, established that the account was actually operated by Mittal, the ED said.
The agency further alleged that despite repeated summonses, Mittal failed to join the investigation, attempted to influence witnesses and prevented relatives from appearing before the agency. He also allegedly tried to portray the tainted transactions as genuine by creating fresh documents.
ED searches at his premises in August led to the seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices. His alleged involvement in other land fraud cases has also emerged and is being investigated, the agency said.
The ED said land fraud involving fabricated revenue records and forged title documents has emerged as a major economic offence in Uttarakhand, causing significant financial losses to citizens and undermining confidence in the land registration system.
The agency said the arrest sends a clear message that those involved in generating and laundering proceeds from such frauds will face action and that tainted assets will be traced, attached and confiscated under the PMLA.