ED arrests MGP leader Rohan Harmalkar for masterminding Goa’s ₹1,600 crore land scam involving forged deeds, benami deals, and prime real estate laundering in Bardez.
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Goa Land Scam Explodes: MGP’s Rohan Harmalkar Arrested in ₹1,600 Crore Property Fraud Ring
June 11, 2025 | Panaji, Goa
PANAJI — In a stunning escalation of one of Goa’s largest land frauds in recent memory, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Rohan Harmalkar, the alleged mastermind behind a ₹1,600 crore land scam that shook the state’s real estate and political landscape.
Harmalkar, a recently inducted leader of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and former independent candidate in the 2022 Goa Assembly elections, was taken into custody late Tuesday night following weeks of investigation, surveillance, and document tracing. He was produced before a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Wednesday and has been remanded to 14 days of ED custody.
Goa Land Scam: ED Arrests MGP Leader Rohan Harmalkar in ₹1,600 Crore Property Fraud
A Fraud as Deep as the Real Estate Roots
According to the ED’s report, Harmalkar is accused of heading a sophisticated land-grab syndicate that illegally acquired, transferred, and resold large tracts of prime property in Bardez taluka — particularly in Anjuna, Arpora, and Assagao — areas that have seen exponential real estate growth due to tourism, NRIs, and investors from metro cities.
The scam was allegedly executed through:
Forgery of ownership documents
Impersonation of legal heirs
Manipulation of land records
Tampering with revenue department files
Undue assistance from lower-level government officials
“This was not a lone wolf act. It was a well-oiled machine — with forged seals, altered mutation records, and links to notaries, revenue clerks, and even police liaisons,” said a senior ED official speaking off-record.
The Scale of the Scam
The current market value of the implicated properties exceeds ₹1,000 crore, with ₹600 crore in assets already seized — including original land deeds, shell company papers, high-end luxury vehicles, and cash. Properties were reportedly sold to unsuspecting buyers from NCR, Haryana, Punjab, and Maharashtra, many of whom are now in legal limbo.
“We didn’t even know the land had changed hands until our title check failed,” said one Delhi-based buyer, who invested in a villa plot in Assagao.
Investigators also found that money from these illicit transactions was funneled through benami accounts, layered via shell companies, and later invested in Goa’s booming beachside resorts, luxury apartments, and even crypto assets.
Operation Trail: From FIRs to Custody
The bust began when Goa Police registered multiple FIRs across Bardez between January and March 2025, following complaints from rightful landowners, many of whom were elderly residents or NRIs whose lands were targeted while they were away.
In April 2025, the ED conducted simultaneous raids across 9 locations in North Goa and neighboring Mumbai suburbs, seizing documents linking Harmalkar to dozens of illegal deals.
This led to a larger forensic audit of government land registries, uncovering patterns of tampered records dating as far back as 2018. Harmalkar had reportedly begun this operation after narrowly losing the 2022 Assembly elections and used his increasing influence within MGP to shield the network.
Political Fallout and SIT Investigations
Harmalkar’s arrest has caused tremors within the MGP, with opposition parties alleging complicity and patronage. The Goa government had already formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in 2023 to probe rising land-grabbing cases, resulting in over 40 arrests, including former revenue officers, surveyors, and a retired deputy collector.
The Commission of Inquiry, led by a retired High Court judge, is also expected to summon several mid-level politicians and real estate agents linked to suspicious land mutations post-2020.
“This arrest confirms what we feared — political entry was being used to launder land,” said MLA P. Rodrigues, an independent legislator from Saligao.
What’s Next: Tracing the Money and Names
The ED has confirmed that Harmalkar’s mobile phones, laptops, offshore communications, and banking trails are being analyzed to unearth the entire supply chain of corruption. The agency is also in touch with financial intelligence units in Dubai, Mauritius, and Singapore, where some transactions may have been routed.
Senior officials told the press that more high-profile names may be revealed in the coming weeks, including Goa-based brokers, advocates, and real estate firms.
Conclusion
The Harmalkar arrest marks a pivotal moment in Goa’s struggle against systemic land theft and the murky intersections of politics, power, and property. As the ED intensifies its probe, the spotlight is now firmly on how far and how deep this real estate racket runs.
For locals, the case is not just about stolen land — but a stolen legacy, stolen trust, and a dangerous precedent in one of India’s most sought-after regions.
