ED searches 10 locations in land grab case

Panaji: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at over 10 locations at Anjuna, Dona Paula and Pilerne in connection with an alleged land grab at Anjuna.

Searches were conducted by the ED at the residence of Yeshwant Sawant, the office of a construction company, the premises of a local politician, and other sites.

The ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on an FIR registered by the Mapusa police.

In April, Mapusa police registered an FIR against a married couple in connection with an alleged land grabbing case involving the Anjuna comunidade.

Attorney of the Anjuna comunidade, Sebastian D’Souza, alleged in his complaint to the Mapusa police that Yeshwant and Minakshi Sawant, both residents of Assagao, along with unidentified individuals, unlawfully prevented him from exercising his property rights over a two lakh sqm area of land at Anjuna before Feb 19, 2024.

“All the accused persons prepared a forged certificate of provisional possession issued on Jan 26, 1952,” the Mapusa police said. “Proceedings of demarcation dated Jan 16, 1958, a certificate of final possession dated Sep 24, 1952, and an order dated July 28, 1952, in respect of the property were forged.”