In a major blow to money laundering networks, the Enforcement Directorate’s Hyderabad Zonal Office has filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, against the late gangster Khwaja Naeemuddin alias Naeem and his associates. The complaint, lodged in the MSJ Court of Ranga Reddy District, Telangana, was taken cognizance of on January 21, 2026.
The list of accused includes Pasham Srinivas, Haseena Begum, Mohammad Tahira Begum, Mohammad Salima Begum, Mohammad Abdul Salim, Ahela Begum, Syed Nilofer, Firdous Anjum, Mohammad Arif, and Heena Kauser. Investigations revealed a sinister pattern: Naeem and his gang identified prime properties, threatened owners with death or abduction, and forced them to register sale deeds at sub-registrar offices under duress. Victims received no payment and lived in fear, deterring them from filing police complaints.
This ED probe stems from a Telangana Police FIR naming several accomplices, corroborated by Income Tax Department findings under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988. A state Special Investigation Team had also probed Naeem’s illicit assets. Key figure Pasham Srinivas orchestrated the registration of 91 properties in the names of Naeem’s family and aides through coercion.
Deemed proceeds of crime under PMLA, these lands—already attached by Income Tax authorities—are now targeted for confiscation by the central government. Naeem, a notorious Hyderabad gangster killed in a 2016 police encounter, amassed hundreds of crores through land grabs, kidnappings, and extortion. This ED action underscores India’s resolve to dismantle criminal empires by seizing dirty money.
As courts deliberate, this case highlights the nexus between organized crime and real estate fraud, promising justice for silenced victims and a deterrent for land mafias.
