Officials Confiscate 45 Antique Autos Following Searches in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: Money Laundering Saga Unfolds
In the bustling city of Hyderabad, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken a dramatic turn in a money laundering case linked to shady land deals. Last Tuesday, 45 old cars, including a handful of vintage beauties, along with a heap of cash and foreign currency, were seized during raids at five locations across the city.
The Enforcement Directorate, in a statement, explained that these raids were part of an ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following a suspicious case of land transactions.
The saga began with the alleged fraudulent claim of 'Bhoodan' land - government-donated land - at Nagaram village, under the Maheshwaram Mandal, purportedly being passed off as ancestral property by an individual named Khaderunissa. Revenue records were allegedly forged, and the land found its way into the hands of various private entities, orchestrated by a network of middlemen and corrupt officials.
The middlemen, in connivance with their government counterparts, are said to have forged documents and tampered with land revenue records, leading to the de-notification of the land from the prohibited list. Subsequently, the land was sold to private parties.
Residences and farmhouses, including those belonging to Khaderunissa, Mohd Munawar Khan, Mohd Lateef Sharfan, Mohd Akhtar Sharfan, and Mohd Sukoor, were searched. Incriminating documents pertaining to fraudulent land sales, along with Indian currency worth ₹23 lakh and 12,000 UAE Dirhams, were seized during these raids.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this investigation is the discovery of 45 used cars, including several vintage models, at Mohd Munawar Khan’s farmhouse.
This money laundering case, with its elaborate scheme of forgery and collusion, serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle against corruption in India. The ED’s Hyderabad unit, prioritizing asset recovery, has filed 49 prosecution complaints in FY 2024-25, underlining their commitment to rooting out such illegal activities. The case remains active, and further attachments are expected in the near future.
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(Enrichment Data: The recent Hyderabad money laundering case involves the seizure of 45 vintage and old cars, ₹23 lakh in cash, and 12,000 UAE Dirhams by the Enforcement Directorate. The case revolves around the fraudulent sale of government-donated land, allegedly claimed as ancestral property by Khaderunissa, using forged documents and the collusion of middlemen and government officials. The ED’s Hyderabad unit has recently prioritized asset recovery over custodial arrests.)
- The money laundering case in Hyderabad, involving a network of middlemen and corrupt officials, has led to the seizure of 45 vintage and old cars, ₹23 lakh in cash, and 12,000 UAE Dirhams.
- The investigations, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), reveal that the fraudulent claim of 'Bhoodan' land at Nagaram village was passed off as ancestral property, resulting in forgery of revenue records.
- Politics and crime-and-justice sections are likely to follow the general news about Hyderabad as the case sheds light on the ongoing struggle against corruption and the elaborate schemes of forgery in land transactions.
- The ED's Hyderabad unit, prioritizing asset recovery, has filed 49 prosecution complaints in FY 2024-25 and is expected to make further attachments in the money laundering case, involving shady land deals and forged ancestral property claims.
