23 Jun 2022  |   07:34am IST

For one year Fatorda police sat on FIR against 17 land grabbers, now set to move them to SIT

13 mutation files had gone missing; Prima facie evidence of govt servants involved in the fraud; Land grabbed through impersonation and forgery in Salcete and coastal South Goa’s pristine villages
For one year Fatorda police sat on FIR against 17 land grabbers, now set to move them to SIT

MARCOS GONSALVES

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MARGAO: After doing precious little on acting against 17- yes 17- suspected land grabbers who have wreaked havoc in the lives of Goan land owners, the Fatorda Police is now set to send them to the SIT investigating land grad cases, in effect washing their hands off this.

Herald has learnt from official sources that there is prima facie evidence of the involvement of a few government servants in the fraud. 

Let’s just pause to digest this; there are 17 people named in a single FIR and for a year the police have not moved an inch on this case.

Out of 17 accused persons, three have already gotten bail in the matter, but many were found not cooperating with the investigation. Two of the accused 



Alex Faleiro and Joana Faleiro are dead. 

Fatorda PI Girendra Naik informed Herald that they are in the process of transferring the case to SIT very soon. However, reliable sources in the police department said they suspect the involvement of government servants from South Goa in these land grabbing cases.

"Case will be handed over to the SIT within the next one or two days", said police. 

CASE DETAILS

Acting on a complaint from Salcete Mamlatdar Prataprao Gaonkar, Fatorda Police on June 6, 2021, had registered an FIR against nearly 17 accused of selling properties fraudulently in Salcete taluka. 

FIRs have been registered under Sections 465, 468, 471 and 420 of IPC against the accused Francisco Colaço (Davorlim), Alex Faleiro (Sao Jose de Areal), Regina Faleiro, Paulina Faleiro, Ana Maria Faleiro, Sebestiao Fareira, Maria Faleiro, Anjelina Monteiro, Joana Faleiro, Martins Coutinho, Joao Luis, Valeriano Vaz, Ana Pedrina and Mahadev Chavan.

The offences were committed between 2018 and 2019 and came to light in June 2021, after the original landowners applied for information under RTI Act.

The properties alleged to be sold are in Cuncolim, Curtorim, Raia, Davorlim and one each in Dramapur, Sao Jose de Areal, Utorda and Guirdolim. 

On Wednesday Herald contacted Fatorda Police Station about the status of the case PI Girendra Naik informed that the case will be transferred to SIT very soon. 

Salcete Mamlatdar is on record that one of the important files pertaining to this case had gone missing from the office, but after a few months, the office claimed that file had been traced. 

Of the 13 mutation files which had gone missing and created suspicion about the involvement of some staff in the racket, one file was traced in the Mamlatdar office. 

PI Kapil Nayak, who was in charge of Fatorda Police Station, had summoned 17 accused culprits, all residents of Salcete. 

"It has also come to light that of the 17 accused, Alex Faleiro and Joana Faleiro have expired. Besides, Francisco Colaco and Regino Faleiro managed to get bail from the High Court, after their applications were rejected by the District Sessions Court, South Goa", he added. 

He said only Mahadev Chavan had appeared at the police station while Ruby Fernandes, Paulina Faleiro, Ana Maria Faleiro, Sebastiao Ferreira, Mario Joao Faleiro and Angela Monteiro failed to remain present despite being served notices under Section 41 A. 

According to Mamlatdar’s complaint, the land grabbers have focused on forging the documents of landowners who are not in Goa for years

"During the time of the investigation, we have got some prima facie evidence that there is an involvement of some government servants in the fraud of land grabbing in Salcete. Police will be submitting their report to the SIT along with the case papers", said reliable sources from the Police Department. 

It may be recalled that taking cognizance of several instances of fraudulent transfer of land using forged conveyance deeds, South Goa District Administration had also written to the Vigilance Department to inquire into the matter and also to various government departments dealing in land cases asking them not to process cases concerning those properties bearing certain specific survey numbers in Salcete. 

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar