Panaji: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Rohan Harmalkar, a key accused and alleged mastermind in the high-profile Goa land scam, under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, the agency said in a statement on Wednesday.
Harmalkar was taken into custody on June 3 and produced before the Special PMLA Court in Mapusa on Wednesday. The court granted ED custody till June 18 for further interrogation and investigation.
The case pertains to large-scale illegal sale and transfer of land across prime locations in Goa, including tourist hotspots like Anjuna, Arpora, and Assagao in Bardez taluka, by forging documents, impersonating legal heirs, and tampering with government records.
According to the ED, the probe was initiated based on multiple FIRs registered by the Goa Police against Harmalkar and others for cheating rightful landowners through a series of criminal acts, including impersonation, creation of fake sale deeds, counterfeiting of official stamps, and manipulation of revenue records.
The investigation has revealed that Rohan Harmalkar played a central role in orchestrating the scam, which involved the illegal transfer of land parcels measuring several lakh square meters. These transactions were allegedly carried out without the knowledge or consent of the original landowners or their heirs, many of whom have now come forward as victims.
Incriminating documents seized during ED’s search operations on April 24 revealed a pattern of systematic land grabbing and fraudulent title transfers. The seized materials included forged sale deeds, manipulated land records, and counterfeit stamps used to validate illegal property transactions.
Harmalkar had been evading arrest since the April raids and was finally apprehended on June 3. The ED has termed him as one of the “main conspirators” in the scam.
Further investigation is underway to uncover the full scale of the fraud and identify other individuals and entities involved.
(IANS)
