Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji
Panaji, Apr 26: In a major crackdown, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided multiple locations across Goa in connection with a massive land scam, unearthing forged property documents and assets worth over Rs 1,000 cr.
The raids, conducted on April 25 and 26 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), were based on financial intelligence linked to illegal land appropriation and laundering of proceeds through benami entities and luxury assets.
According to an official source, Rohan Harmalkar an Independent candidate in the 2022 Goa Assembly elections and former BJP ticket aspirant is alleged to be the ‘key mastermind’ behind the fraud. He and his associates are accused of impersonating landowners, fabricating title deeds, tampering revenue records, and illegally selling properties without the knowledge or consent of the rightful owners.
“These fraudulent transactions caused significant financial and legal distress to victims, many of whom were unaware that their land had changed hands,” said the official.
The ED recovered incriminating documents showing manipulated transfers of high-value land across tourist hotspots like Anjuna, Arpora and Assagao in Bardez taluka. Among the findings were original documents of immovable properties worth over Rs 600 cr, with the total estimated scam value crossing Rs 1,000 cr.
Investigators said the illegal proceeds were funneled into high-end real estate, luxury vehicles, and other assets via a network of shell companies and benami holders. The ED is now working to trace the full money trail and identify other beneficiaries, including government officials suspected of collusion.
Harmalkar had already been named in a Goa Police SIT probe into land grabbing, which was launched in June 2022. The SIT has so far registered 44 FIRs covering more than 100 properties, arrested 56 people, and unearthed massive document tampering including forged sale deeds with Portuguese-era handwriting allegedly inserted with the help of staff from the Directorate of Archives and Archaeology.
In December 2024, The Indian Express had reported that a Commission of Inquiry, led by retired Bombay High Court judge Justice V K Jadhav, found systematic manipulation of government land records to facilitate fraudulent transactions.
Further investigation is underway to bring all culprits involved in the scam to justice.