The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken a significant step in the ongoing money laundering investigation related to the illegal acquisition of land in Goa. Immovable properties with an estimated value of Rs. 11.82 Crore, belonging to individuals named Estevan D’Souza, Moses Fernandes, and Samir Korgaonkar, have been provisionally attached by the ED.
The Economic Offence Cell (EOC) in Goa and P.S. Porvorim filed FIRs, which led to the ED’s participation in the case. These false information requests (FIRs), filed under several IPC, 1860 provisions, brought to light the deceptive tactics used to get land or properties by posing as the rightful owner and fooling gullible purchasers.
The ED conducted an inquiry and found that the accused persons had a pattern of targeting properties where the original owner had either died without leaving a will or the will’s heir lived outside of India. Exploiting these situations, the accused committed offences under sections 419, 420, and 471 of the IPC, involving forgery and impersonation of the true property owner. Subsequently, they executed sale deeds or irreversible power of attorney documents in their own names, illicitly gaining possession of the targeted properties.
The provisional attachment of the properties is a crucial development in the case, signalling the ED’s commitment to unravelling the complex web of financial impropriety and land grabbing. As the investigation progresses, further details may emerge, shedding light on the extent of the illicit activities undertaken by the accused individuals.
