In a crackdown on a money laundering racket involving illegal sale of government land, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday announced the seizure of 45 old and vintage cars, ₹23 lakh in cash, and foreign currency, during raids in Hyderabad. The searches, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), targeted five locations on Monday linked to individuals accused of forging land documents and manipulating revenue records to sell prohibited land.
The ED’s action stems from an FIR registered by the Telangana Police, naming private individuals and government officials in a conspiracy to sell ‘Bhoodan’ land—government-allotted land that is not permitted for private sale—by falsely claiming ancestral ownership and manipulating official records.
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Bhoodan Land at Centre of Fraud: Officials, Middlemen Under ED Scanner
According to the ED statement, the land in question is located at Nagaram village in Maheshwaram Mandal, part of Ranga Reddy district. The agency alleges that a woman named Khaderunissa falsely claimed the land as her ancestral property. In collusion with middlemen and corrupt revenue officials, she allegedly succeeded in fraudulently mutating government records and de-notifying the land from the prohibited category, facilitating its sale to private entities.
The ED uncovered that multiple sales were made using forged documents. These manipulated records led to the illegal transfer of ownership and subsequent laundering of funds. The involvement of multiple government functionaries is under probe, with indications that bribes and kickbacks may have been exchanged to smoothen the illicit sale and mutation process.
During the searches, the agency seized incriminating documents, transaction records, and cash from several properties, including farmhouses and residences.
Vintage Car Collection Seized; Foreign Currency and Real Estate Under Lens
One of the key figures under investigation is Mohd Munawar Khan, whose farmhouse housed a fleet of 45 old and vintage cars—all of which were seized. The ED believes the cars were purchased using proceeds from the illegal land transactions. In addition, the search teams recovered ₹23 lakh in Indian currency and 12,000 UAE Dirhams from various premises.
Properties and documents belonging to Mohd Lateef Sharfan, Mohd Akhtar Sharfan, Mohd Sukoor, and Khaderunissa were also raided, with authorities suspecting that these individuals acted as conduits or direct beneficiaries in the land fraud operation.
The ED stated that it is investigating the money trail, including investments in real estate, vehicles, and foreign assets. The case highlights a growing trend of laundering illegal land profits through luxury goods and offshore financial systems. As investigations continue, officials hinted that more seizures and arrests are likely, especially as the ED traces the financial transactions involved and identifies any links to politically exposed persons or bureaucrats.
The probe reflects growing concerns around the manipulation of government land records, particularly in fast-urbanizing zones around Hyderabad, and underscores the ED’s efforts to clamp down on land mafia operations exploiting legal loopholes and official collusion.