Mumbai: A special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on Wednesday took cognisance of an Enforcement Directorate (ED) complaint against former Lodha Developers director Rajendra N Lodha and four others over alleged money laundering linked to fraudulent land transactions worth Rs 85 crore and diversion of funds.However, the court discharged Rajendra’s son, Sahil, from the case. The court noted that Sahil was not associated with Lodha Developers as an employee. The court recorded that allegations showed Sahil was helping his father in land deals, but observed that the material indicated Rajendra was the main person behind the alleged transactions. “It is to be stated that it clearly shows that the accused no 1 (Rajendra Lodha) was instrumental in making all the deals of illegal and criminal activity of the purchase of land.”The court added, “The accused no 1 has done so in name of his son…without active participation of accused no 2 (Sahil) in the same,” the judge said.The court also declined to issue process against accused Shital Palande, after noting that ED described her as being engaged in business, while the complaint itself referred to her as a channel partner for sales with Lodha Developers. “It means to say that though Enforcement Directorate knows that she is the employee of Lodha Developers, she is arrayed as accused showing that her occupation is business,” the judge said.ED’s probe was based on two police complaints registered in Sept 2025, alleging cheating, forgery, use of forged documents, criminal breach of trust and related offences involving alleged losses of more than Rs 100 crore to Lodha Developers. The scheduled offences led to an investigation under the PMLA.According to ED, Rajendra had been associated with Lodha Developers since 1990 and was appointed director in 2015. The complaint alleged that a board resolution authorised Lodha only to purchase land for the company and did not give authority to sell land, dispose of assets or alienate transferable development rights. ED alleged that Lodha, along with associates, misused a fiduciary position and carried out unauthorised transactions, including allegedly routing funds through fabricated possession-holder memoranda, cash withdrawals and land deals.
About The Author
