The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Panaji Zonal Office, conducted search operations at eight locations in Goa and Pune on July 4 as part of an ongoing investigation into a land-grabbing case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
The searches are linked to a probe against John Paul Valles, Sandeep Vazarkar, and their associates, who are accused of illegally acquiring ancestral land measuring 5,000 sq. meters in Socorro, North Goa. The case was initiated based on an FIR filed at Porvorim Police Station by complainant Jeronimo Oliveiro Desouza.
According to investigators, the accused allegedly conspired to forge documents in inventory proceeding No. 134/2019/C, falsely claiming that the father of two women—Sandra De Sa and Maureen Saldanha—shared the same name as the complainant’s father. This fraudulent claim allowed the illegal transfer of ownership of the ancestral property to the two women.
Subsequently, John Paul Valles obtained a Power of Attorney (POA) from the sisters in Pune and sold the subdivided land to multiple buyers. Sandeep Vazarkar, who accompanied Valles during the execution of the POA, allegedly played a key role in identifying and arranging buyers. During questioning, Vazarkar admitted to receiving Rs 10 lakh as brokerage and was also found to have made large unexplained cash deposits in both personal and business bank accounts.
The ED`s search operations at the residential and office premises of the accused led to the seizure of several electronic devices and a substantial collection of incriminating documents. Key recoveries include multiple sale deeds, power of attorney documents, inventory proceedings, and a diary listing cash transactions. These items were primarily seized from the premises of Sandeep Arjun Vazarkar, John Paul Valles, Sandeep Manjrekar, and Avinash Naik.
Officials said the seized material is under examination and is expected to yield critical leads in tracing the proceeds of crime and advancing the investigation into the alleged land-grabbing conspiracy.
