Mumbai: Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested a builder Yusuf Lakdawala in a money laundering case related to a Khandala land grab case, on Friday.
Earlier ED has summoned him four times for the statement at their office in Ballard Estate, to which he refused to attend. On Thursday, a team of ED officials visited Lakdawala’s house and induced him to accompany them for the statement. They continued questioning till late in the night and arrested him after he refused to provide case related details.
The Khandala land belonged to an eminent writer Mulk Raj Anand who had purchased it from Nizam of Hyderabad. After Mulk Raj Anand’s death, Yusuf had forged the documetns with the help of his other partners. It was displayed as if it was Yusuf’s father who had purchased this land from the Nizam in 1949, and he is the owner.
In 2019, the Mumbai Police registered a cheating and forgery case against Lakdawala for grabbing the Khandala land of Mulk Raj Anand. There was a look-out notice issued against Lakdawala in the case, and he was arrested at Ahmedabad airport by Mumbai Police while flying out to London for his treatment. Subsequently, he was released on bail.
Later on, based on the police case, the ED also registered a money laundering case against Lakdawal in connection to the Khandala land grab.
In the police case, it was claimed that Lakdawala had allegedly forged documents of a huge property in Khandala and to grab land worth Rs 50 crore. As the forgery of documents occurred at the office of sub-registrar office in Old Customs House at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai, the FIR was lodged at the MRA Marg police station and later transferred to the EOW for further investigation. It was alleged that by forging signatures on documents dated back to 1949.
Earlier, Yusuf Lakadawal was in dispute when he tried to encroach properties of recent year actress Sadhana in 2010, who lodged a related complaint against him at Santa Cruz police. Later he was exonerated in the case.
Read other related news:
- Gangster Ejaz Lakdawala arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch
- Three arrested in massive GST frauds of more than Rs 2,350 Crores
Views : 26436