Bizmen held by ED for usurping properties

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested two Maharashtra based businessmen -- Satish Uke and Pradip Uke -- in a money laundering investigation pertaining to usurping of properties using forged documents.

According to an ED official, the accused were produced before the PMLA Court in Mumbai and remanded to ED custody till Wednesday.

The ED official said that the money laundering case was lodged on the basis of two FIRs filed by Maharashtra Police against the accused.

The two FIRs were registered at Ajni Police station, Nagpur. The first was filed by one Mohammad Jaffar, nephew of Late Mohammad Samad who was owner of the land comprising five acres at Mouza Bokhara, Nagpur against Satish Uke and Pradip Uke.

Jaffat alleged in the complaint that the accused allegedly usurped his five acre land by creating fake documents.

The second FIR was filed by one Shobharani Rajendra Nalode, secretary of Aishwari Sahakari Grih Nirman Sanstha against Satish Uke, Pradip Uke and others alleging that they have allegedly usurped her society's land comprising of 1.5 acres situated at MouzaBabulkheda.

The ED initiated investigation under PMLA Act, and recorded several statements related to the cases.

"From the investigation conducted so far, it became evident that both the accused had resorted to fraud and forgery and created fake POA (Power of Attorney) in the name of Chandrashekhar Namdevrao Matte and Khairunisa and usurped the lands from the original land owners illegally. The lands are still in illegal possession of the accused," said the ED official.

The official said that they had also conducted a search operation on the premises of the accused on March 31. During the search, incriminating documents related to forgery, digital evidences were seised.

Statements of both the accused were also recorded, following which, both the accused were placed under arrest for commission of offence under the provisions of Section 3 of PMLA Act.

Further investigation in the matter is on.