ED Seizes 45 Vintage Cars, Rs 23 Lakh in Hyderabad Raids

The Enforcement Directorate seized 45 vintage cars, Rs 23 lakh in cash, and foreign currency during raids in Hyderabad as part of a money laundering probe linked to the alleged illegal sale of government land. The agency claimed that government land was falsely claimed by a woman and sold to various entities with the help of middlemen and officials who forged documents and manipulated revenue records.

In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the alleged illegal sale of government land in Hyderabad, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on April 28, seizing 45 vintage cars, Rs 23 lakh in cash, and foreign currency. The raids were part of a money laundering probe linked to the alleged grabbing of Bhoodan lands in Maheshwaram [1].

The ED's investigation stems from a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Telangana police against private individuals and government officials. The FIR alleged the illegal sale of government land through the use of forged documents and manipulation of official revenue records [1]. According to the ED, Khaderunissa falsely claimed the land as her ancestral property, and revenue records were fraudulently mutated, allowing the land to be sold to various parties. Middlemen working in collusion with government officials forged documents and altered revenue records to remove the land from the list of prohibited properties, thereby facilitating its unauthorized sale to private entities [1].

The ED seized the cash and vintage cars from the farmhouse of Mohd. Munawar Khan and conducted searches at the residences and farmhouses of Khaderunissa, Mohd. Munawar Khan, Mohd. Lateef Sharfan, Mohd. Akhtar Sharfan, and Mohd. Sukoor. Further investigation into the case is underway [1].

Meanwhile, in a separate development, the ED conducted searches at eight locations in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) on Wednesday as part of a money laundering investigation involving FIITJEE, a coaching institute [2]. The action follows a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police, based on complaints from concerned parents. The ED searches are being carried out at the residential premises of key individuals, including one of the promoters, Dinesh Kumar Goel, as well as at several offices [2].

References:
[1] https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/ed-seizes-cash-vintage-cars-in-maheshwaram-bhoodan-land-grab-scam/article69505222.ece
[2] https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/ed-raids-fiitjee-offices-in-delhi-ncr-amid-money-laundering-probe-125042400381_1.html