ED files prosecution complaint in Goa land rights fraud case

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Goa land rights fraud case

Highlights

ED files prosecution complaint against Fr. Arlino D’Mello, Fr. Victor Rodrigues, Prabhakar Hawaldar, and a real estate firm in land rights fraud.
A 2,479 sq. meter plot was registered in the name of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman using alleged forged documents and sold on 09.04.2007 for Rs 6,197,500.
ED provisionally attached properties worth Rs 27.10 crore, including proceeds of crime from project sales.

This article was translated from the original. Read the original version by our correspondent here.

Allegations and Basis of Investigation

According to the Enforcement Directorate, the Panaji Zonal Office has filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 against Fr. Arlino D’Mello, Fr. Victor Conceicao Rodrigues, Prabhakar Ram Hawaldar, and a private real estate development firm in the Special Court at Merces, North Goa. It is alleged that between 18.11.2004 and 05.12.2006, the parties involved conspired to use forged documents to register the name of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman in the records of City Survey, Panaji, for Chalta No. 44 of P.T. Sheet No. 162, a plot measuring 2,479 sq. meters.

The investigation began with an FIR registered at Panaji Police Station, North Goa, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Based on the same FIR, the ED registered an ECIR. The agency claims that this alleged fraudulent entry terminated the lawful tenancy rights of the original tenant family.

The ED stated that on 16.12.2025, a search operation was conducted in Goa under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, during which incriminating loose papers and electronic devices were seized. According to the agency’s financial investigation findings, the plot was allegedly registered in the name of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman using forged documents and later sold to a private real estate development firm through a sale deed dated 09.04.2007 for a value of Rs 6,197,500.

Proceeds of Crime and Impact on Property

According to the ED, a residential-cum-commercial project was later developed on the said land, and the sale of units in this project generated proceeds of crime amounting to approximately Rs 27.10 crore, which were retained. This amount, according to the investigating agency, is the main basis for the financial gains from the alleged fraudulent transaction.

The agency had earlier provisionally attached immovable properties worth about Rs 27.10 crore. These include a commercial property at Mitra, Caranzalem, Panaji, a hotel-cum-restaurant, and two other immovable properties, which the ED has described as representing the proceeds of crime or equivalent value.

This case also highlights compliance risks related to Goa’s real estate and land records administration, especially in matters where title, tenancy rights, and subsequent project sales are interconnected. As the complaint progresses in court, the outcome could impact the legal status of the parties involved as well as scrutiny of land transactions in the region.

In our previous report, we discussed the dismissal of the ‘gatekeeper’ legal challenge against Apple under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act and the resulting compliance pressure on the company due to stricter competition rules. That article noted that this decision increases the likelihood of changes to the App Store and iOS business models, while the share price’s technical position above key moving averages suggests near-term consolidation within a limited range.

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