The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has carried out search operations at six locations across Goa, New Delhi and Chandigarh as part of its ongoing investigation into a large-scale land scam involving businessman Yeshwant Sawant and others. The operations, conducted by the agency’s Panaji Zonal Office on 10 October under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, resulted in the seizure of incriminating documents and digital records, according to an official release from the Directorate.
ED, Panaji Zonal Office has conducted search operations at 6 locations across Goa, New Delhi and Chandigarh on 10.10.2025 under PMLA, 2002, in connection with the ongoing investigation into a land scam involving Yeshwant Sawant and others. The search operations were undertaken at…
— ED (@dir_ed) October 14, 2025
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Crypto assets worth 1.5 lakh USDT frozen
During the searches, ED officials recovered multiple documents and electronic data linked to suspected money laundering activities. The agency also identified and froze crypto wallets containing digital currencies valued at approximately 1.5 lakh USDT (Tether). The searches were carried out at the premises of Umar Zahoor Shah and Neeraj Sharma, partners in M/s Thinking of You, and Rajesh Kumar, a director at M/s Purple Martini Entertainment Pvt Ltd. According to the ED, these records suggest investment of unaccounted cash into land parcels across Goa. Officials said the seized materials would be examined to trace the movement of funds and identify other beneficiaries involved in the alleged scam.
Scam linked to forged land transfer in Anjuna
The ongoing money-laundering investigation is based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed by Goa Police against Yeshwant Sawant and others for allegedly defrauding the Communidade of Anjuna. The complaint relates to a prime piece of land identified as Survey No. 496/1-A in Anjuna.
According to the FIR, the accused are alleged to have forged and fabricated documents to fraudulently transfer ownership of the land to their names. The property was later sold in parts to third parties, generating what the agency has identified as Proceeds of Crime (PoC). The ED said the funds from these transactions were subsequently moved through layered accounts and investments.
Previous searches and arrest in related cases
This month’s operations follow earlier searches on 9 September, during which the agency identified several land parcels in Anjuna and Assagao, prime coastal areas in Bardez taluka, allegedly acquired by accused persons through fraudulent means. These plots, spanning several lakh square metres, were said to have been purchased using names of friends and relatives to conceal ownership.
Following those searches, the ED arrested Shivshankar Mayekar on 1 October for his role in the illegal land acquisitions. Officials said the continuing investigation is aimed at uncovering the larger network and money trail behind the scam.
During the latest round of searches, ED teams also seized Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), lease deeds and other land-related agreements purportedly signed by key accused and their associates. These documents, the agency said, point towards wider irregularities in property transactions across Goa’s coastal belt.
The ED confirmed that further investigation is underway to ascertain the extent of the fraud and to identify additional individuals linked to the laundering of proceeds derived from the land scam.
