The Enforcement Directorate (ED) logo.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mangaluru: Directorate of Enforcement, Mangaluru Sub Zonal Office has conducted search operations covering five premises in Mangaluru under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in the case of conman Roshan Saldanha and others.
ED initiated investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by Law Enforcement Agency against Roshan Saldanha, Dafney Neetu D’souza and others, for collecting money from various businessmen under the garb of stamp duty for arranging loans at low interest rates and conning them by not arranging promised loans. The prime accused Roshan Saldanha is currently under judicial custody. It may be recalled that Mangaluru CEN police had arrested him following complaints from victims on July 17.
A release from Enforcement Directorate said during the course of search operation on August 5, incriminating evidences in the form of dairies and documents have been found and seized, indicating the involvement of Roshan Saldanha, Dafney Neetu D’souza, and other accused persons, in mobilisation of funds amounting to Rs 39 crore, in the newly created dummy concerns, from various businessmen under the guise of stamp duty by promising them to facilitate loans. It was also unearthed that the funds so mobilised were subsequently utilised by the accused persons for their personal purposes, their own business purposes and major part of funds were also siphoned off using dummy entities.
During the search operation, assets in the form of bank accounts having balance of Rs 3.75 crore have been frozen. Further, during investigation, it was found that the accused Roshan Saldanha had diverted proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs 5.75 crore from fictitious entities managed by him for purchase of five fishing boats in the name of his wife Dafney Neetu D’souza, and those fishing boats have been identified and seized/frozen, taking the total value of seizure/ freezing, during the search to Rs 9.5 crore.
Further investigation is under progress.