PNS|Hyderabad
The Directorate of Enforcement’s (ED) Hyderabad Zonal Office has unearthed a massive government land scam following search operations at five locations across the city on April 28.
The searches were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with an investigation into the illegal alienation of government land for personal gain.
The probe is based on an FIR registered by the Telangana Police against private individuals and government officials over the fraudulent sale of government and Bhoodan land. The investigation revealed widespread forgery of documents and manipulation of revenue records.
The ED said that one Khaderunissa falsely claimed ownership of government land in the Nagaram Village of Maheshwaram Mandal, by declaring it as her ancestral property.
Subsequently, revenue records were fraudulently mutated, and the land was sold to various private entities with the help of several middlemen. These middlemen, in connivance with government officials, forged documents and de-notified the land from the prohibited list, facilitating its illegal sale.
The ED carried out searches at the residences and farmhouses of Khaderunissa, Mohd. Munawar Khan, Mohd. Lateef Sharfan, Mohd. Akhtar Sharfan, and Mohd. Sukoor.
The raids led to the seizure of incriminating documents linked to the fraudulent transactions, Indian currency amounting to Rs 23 lakh, and foreign currency worth 12,000 UAE Dirham.
In a surprising find, 45 old, used cars, including several vintage models, were also seized from Mohd. Munawar Khan’s farmhouse.
The ED confirmed that further investigation into the case is going on.
