Goa Land Scam case: Key accused remanded to ED custody for forging sale deeds

Rohan Harmalkar, one of the key masterminds in the Goa Land Scam case, has been sent to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till June 18 following his arrest by the probe agency on June 3.

ED initiated investigation on the basis of FIRs registered by the Goa Police against Rohan Harmalkar and others under various sections of the IPC, 1860, for defrauding rightful property owners through fraudulent means, including impersonation, creation of fake documents, tampering with revenue records, etc.

These properties, originally owned by individuals and family estates, were unlawfully sold without their consent, causing significant financial and legal distress to the victims.

ED investigation revealed that Rohan Harmalkar is one of the key conspirators of the Goa Land Scam, orchestrating the forgery and manipulation of sale deeds for multiple properties. He has also impersonated legitimate heirs, counterfeited government stamps and used them as genuine to unlawfully acquire properties.

Earlier in April, search operations conducted by the ED discovered voluminous incriminating property documents indicating manipulation of land records and fraudulent transfers of high-value land parcels spanning several lakh square meters in prime tourist hotspots such as Anjuna, Arpora, and Assagao in Bardez Taluka, Goa.

During the searches and the post-search investigation, Rohan Harmalkar remained absconding. He was subsequently arrested on June 3.