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Enforcement Directorate attaches property worth several crores in PACL India case

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said that it has attached properties worth several crores of rupees belonging to some companies in connection with a money laundering case against PACL India Ltd.

While the attached immovable assets are in the form of land ad-measuring 3,39,984.2 square metres worth Rs 185 crore, the movable assets amounting to Rs 7,51,78,480 are in the form of bank balances of some companies.

The attached companies are DDPL Global Infrastructure Private Ltd (DDPL), Unicorn Infraprojects and Estates Private Ltd (Unicorn) and Brightview Projects and Estates Private Ltd.

A senior ED official said that PACL collected money from the public under different schemes for allotting plots in different parts of the country or giving an option to take back their expected tentative value of land in lieu of the allotted plot under the scheme on maturity.

PACL was in the real estate business and sale of agricultural land through their agents and local office. Getting double benefit by creating easy equity for procurement of land and later taking the benefit on the appreciation of land prices, it had collected amounts running into several crores from investors all over India.

The ED has learnt in the investigation that Directors of PACL siphoned off amounts received from investors and utilised the same for personal gains by investing in various entities.

Investigation also revealed that PACL transferred Rs 101 crore (being investors’ money) in Dhanashree Developers Private Ltd, out of which Rs 26 crore were transferred to DDPL Global Infrastructure Private Ltd.

Further, PACL transferred Rs 2,285.79 crore to Prateek Kumar who invested Rs 94.61 crore in DDPL and Unicorn. It also transferred Rs 110.95 crore in Systematix Venture Capital Trust through its 25 front companies, which was invested in DDPL and Unicorn in form of OFCD and equity.

With the funds received from PACL through various channels, DDPL and Unicorn purchased land parcels at village Tiwri of Vasai in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. DDPL and Unicorn entered into various agreements with different entities for sale of FSI and construction of residential cum commercial projects, from which the two entities generated huge profits.

“Investigation by ED also revealed that the shareholding of DDPL and Unicorn was changed frequently in order to legitimise the funds received from PACL and to ensure that the assets are not taken over and given to investors. The scheme has been cleverly designed to obscure the actual beneficiary of the land and shares to avoid investigation by government agencies. The shareholders of DDPL and Unicorn viz. Hemant Patil and Dharmesh P Shah have claim over these assets without ever actually investing any substantial funds in the companies,” said the official.

Investigation with regard to tracing the remaining Proceeds of Crime is in progress.

Crime

Mira-Bhayandar: Police Busts Illicit Liquor Brewing Den In Nallasopara

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Mira Bhayandar: Further tightening their screws against illicit liquor mafia ahead of the assembly elections scheduled to be held on 20, November, the Mira Road-based central crime branch unit attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai (MBVV) police busted yet another massive illicit liquor brewing unit which was operating from a hillock in a dense jungle area in Nallasopara on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by assistant police inspector- Dattatray Sarak marched 2-kilometre-deep inside the jungle area located in the Dhaniv Baug area of Nallasopara (east) at around 8 am.

The team seized multiple barrels of hooch along with ingredients including 2,800 litres of fermented jaggery wash, 140 litres of liquor, chemicals and other manufacturing equipment collectively worth more than Rs. 1.42 lakh.

However, the den operator identified as- Prabhakar Bhoye and his employees managed to evade the police dragnet. The entire material and equipment were destroyed on the spot.

An offence under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act-1949 for construction/works of any distillery or brewery and manufacturing intoxicants has been registered in this context at the Pelhar police station.

The consumption of illicit liquor which is unscientifically manufactured by using toxic chemicals like methanol and rectified spirit can cause deaths and other serious ailments including loss of eyesight. Further investigations were underway.

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Crime

Wildlife Smuggling Racket Busted: Rare Snakes, Reptiles, Caged Orangutan Rescued From Dombivli House

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Thane: In a significant operation exposing a wildlife smuggling racket, the Forest Officials rescued rare species of animals from a highrise in Dombivli. The officials raided an apartment in Palava City, Dombivli and found exotic animals including lizard, turtles, rare species snakes and other reptiles stored in the flat. Horrifying enough, the team found a monkey caged in the washroom of the apartment.

It was later confirmed that the rescued animals included Ignuana (lizard), an Orangutan and python. The operation was conducted by the Forest Range Officers from Thane and Kalyan along with a team from Manpada Police Station after a tip.

The officials did not find any accused present in the apartment at the time of the raid. A case under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 has been registered and a search for the accused is underway. Meanwhile, the seized species are handed over to a local NGO on a temporary basis for observation.

The video of the forest officials raid surfaced on the internet shows a boy opening the door of the well-kept apartment. After entering the flat, the officials gradually come across wildlife species stores in small cage, plastic boxes piled up in the passage and shocking enough an Orangutan in washroom at the end of the apartment.

As per the statement issued by the police, the teams raided the 8th floor apartment in B wing of Savarna Building in Palava City, Dombivli. In the action, the exotic animals seized as prima facie identified as python, ignuana (lizard), turtle, snake etc. The seized wildlife species, on temporary basis, are handed over to Birsa Munda- a local NGO. The pachanama, documentation and search for the accused is underway, it added.

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Crime

Mumbai: Unidentified Body Of Man Chopped Into 7 Pieces Stuffed In Plastic Boxes Found Near Gorai Beach; Probe On

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Mumbai: The dismembered body of a man, estimated to be between 25 and 40 years old, was discovered in several plastic boxes on the side road which goes to Gorai Beach in Mumbai on Sunday.

Upon receiving the information, police arrived at the scene and took the body into custody. It was later sent for a post-mortem examination. The body has not yet been identified, and a case has been registered.

According to police, on Sunday, a male body was found near Picxy Hotel, Babar Pada, Gorai, Borivali West. The body was cut into seven parts and packed in four plastic boxes. The deceased, believed to be between 25 and 40 years old, was wearing dark blue jeans and black shoes. His right hand bore tattoos.

A resident named Santosh Shinde, 55, from Mira Road, informed the Gorai police after learning about the incident. The Gorai police recovered the body from Shefali village in the Babarpada area.

A forensic team is currently investigating the case, and inquiries are ongoing in the vicinity of the incident location. Police have stated that the recovered body remains unidentified. The Gorai police have registered a case, and further investigation is underway.

A special team has been formed to investigate, and information is being gathered from CCTV footage and nearby police stations to assist in identifying the body.

A police officer said that the body was sent to Bhagwati Hospital for a post-mortem. “We can’t conclude anything immediately, as we are still investigating the matter,” the officer said.

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