Panaji, July 10 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a charge sheet in a Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court at Merces in Goa, against four accused, including two former Procurators of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and a real estate firm, over a fraud linked to a land parcel’s tenancy rights, an official said on Friday.

The land, involved in the tenancy fraud, was allegedly used by the real estate firm to build a residential-cum-commercial project and collect Rs 27.10 crore by selling these to multiple buyers, the ED said.

The ED’s Panaji Zonal Office, filed the charge sheet against Arlino De Mello, Victor Conceicao Rodrigues (the then Procurators of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman), Prabhakar Rama Hawaldar (the then Inspector of Survey and Land Records of City Survey at Panaji) and a private real estate development firm (as a legal entity) under the provisions of PMLA, 2002.

The investigation is related to related to fraudulent deprivation of tenancy rights over a parcel of land situated at Mitra in North Goa’s Caranzalem, the ED said.

The investigation stems from an FIR registered by Panaji Police Station in North Goa under various Sections of IPC, 1860, on a complaint.

The complaint alleged that between November 18, 2004 and December 5, 2006, the accused conspired to record the name of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman in the Holder’s column of Form ‘B’ pertaining to a parcel of land bearing Chalta No. 44 of P.T. Sheet No. 162 of City Survey in Panaji, admeasuring 2,479 square metres, by using forged documents.

The complaint alleged that the conspiracy deprived the original tenant family of its lawful tenancy rights.

On the basis of the said FIR, the ED had recorded an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR).

During the investigation, the ED conducted search operations under Section 17 of the PMLA on December 16, 2025, in Goa, resulting in the recovery of incriminating loose sheets and electronic devices.

The financial investigation conducted by the ED revealed that the accused, used forged documents to fraudulently register the aforesaid parcel of land in the name of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, enabling its subsequent sale to a private real estate development firm vide sale deed dated April 9, 2007, for a conspicuously modest consideration of Rs 61.97 lakh.

A residential-cum-commercial project was thereafter developed and units therein were sold to multiple buyers, generating and possessing proceeds of crime quantified at Rs 27.10 crore.

The ED had earlier issued a provisional attachment order attaching immovable properties amounting to Rs 27.10 crore comprising a commercial property (hotel-cum-restaurant) at Mitra in Panaji’s Caranzalem, and two other immovable properties, being proceeds of crime as well as property representing equivalent value of proceeds of crime generated through the fraudulent transaction.

–IANS

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