Searches Conducted at Eight Locations in Connection with PMLA Case
Goa/Pune, July 4 — The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted search operations at eight premises across Goa and Pune on Friday as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation related to an illegal land grabbing case in Socorro, North Goa.
Probe Linked to Alleged Land Scam Involving 5,000 Sq. Meter Property
The searches were carried out in connection with a case against John Paul Valles, Sandeep Vazarkar, and their associates. The case pertains to a fraudulent attempt to acquire an ancestral property measuring 5,000 square meters at Survey No. 210/5 in Socorro, North Goa, originally owned by complainant Jeronimo Oliveiro De Souza.
FIR by Porvorim Police Triggered ED Action
The ED investigation was initiated following an FIR registered by Porvorim Police Station, North Goa. According to the ED, the accused conspired to manipulate inventory proceedings by falsely asserting that the father of Sandra De Sa and Maureen Saldanha bore the same name as the complainant’s father. This enabled the fraudulent transfer of the land into the names of the two sisters.
Fraudulent Power of Attorney Used to Sell Plots
John Paul Valles later secured a Power of Attorney (POA) from the sisters in Pune and began subdividing and selling the property as individual plots. Sandeep Vazarkar, who accompanied Valles during the POA execution, also played a key role by arranging buyers and reportedly received ₹10 lakh in brokerage.
Unexplained Cash Deposits and Incriminating Material Seized
Investigators uncovered large, unexplained cash deposits in the personal and business accounts of Vazarkar. The raids resulted in the seizure of numerous electronic devices and incriminating documents, including Deeds of Sale, POAs, inventory proceeding papers, and a diary recording cash transactions.
These items were primarily recovered from the residences of Sandeep Arjun Vazarkar, John Paul Valles, Sandeep Manjrekar, and Avinash Naik.
Crucial Leads Expected from Seized Evidence
The ED stated that the evidence collected is being scrutinised and is expected to yield critical leads for tracing the proceeds of crime and expanding the investigation into the land grabbing conspiracy.
