ED raids Nagpur builder in connection with property fraud, seizes Rs 1.95 crore cash
Nagpur, Oct 31 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) conducted raids at two locations in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, which led to the seizure of unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 1.95 crore and the freezing of bank balances worth more than Rs 40 lakh, officials said on Saturday.
The search operations were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on October 26 at two locations in Nagpur linked to Shashank Govind Prasad Pandey, proprietor of M/s Prayag Developers & Builders, an ED statement said.
“The searches led to the seizure of voluminous incriminating documents/records, digital devices, as well as unaccounted cash amounting to a total of Rs 1.95 crore and freezing of bank balances worth more than Rs 40 lakh. The search operations also resulted in the identification of several immovable properties, collectively valued at crores of rupees, suspected to have been acquired from the Proceeds of Crime,” the officials added.
According to officials, the ED investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered at Ajni Police Station in Nagpur City, and Ranapratapnagar Police Station in Nagpur, for offences under Sections 418 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
“Investigation has revealed that Shashank Govindprasad Pandey is engaged in a series of fraudulent activities, causing wrongful loss to several innocent persons,” officials said.
They mentioned that in one instance, Pandey entered into a development agreement in respect of land owned by a senior citizen widow, under which he was obligated to pay Rs 1.75 crore and allot 14 residential flats to the complainant.
“Although the flats had been earmarked in her favour through a Declaration-cum-Correction Deed, the accused fraudulently cancelled the said deed without her knowledge or consent and subsequently sold the earmarked flats to third parties,” the officials said.
They mentioned that the sale proceeds, amounting to Rs 8.93 crore, were misappropriated and siphoned off for his personal gain. Additionally, an amount of Rs 45 lakh payable under the development agreement was withheld, resulting in an aggregate wrongful loss of Rs 9.4 crore to the complainant.
In another case relating to the project Divya Prayag Apartment, the ED officials said that the investigation revealed that 22 flats had been mortgaged to Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL) against a project loan of Rs 22 crores, out of which Rs 11 crore was disbursed.
“Pandey sold the mortgaged flats without obtaining the requisite No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the lender or disclosing the subsisting mortgage to the purchasers. He also allegedly submitted a false affidavit to the bank in connection with a home loan, concealing the existing mortgage,” they said.
Subsequently, according to the ED, outstanding dues amounting to Rs 12.84 crore were reported, and proceedings under the SARFAESI Act were initiated.
“The concealment and misrepresentation are suspected to have resulted in wrongful loss to the flat purchasers and corresponding wrongful gain to the accused,” officials said.
An investigation is underway, and further details are awaited.
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