MARGAO: While on one hand the land grabbing cases pending before the SIT remain unresolved and the culprits have yet to be punished, a new case has emerged in Colva wherein reportedly a property was grabbed fraudulently, whose original owner had actually died 14 years before the sale deed was executed.
It has been revealed that Francisco Joao Rodrigues, the original owner of the property with survey number 86/2 in the village of Colva, passed away on March 8, 1961. However, the sale deed in question is dated July 25, 1981, long after his death.
It has been further revealed that the family members of the late Francisco Joao Rodrigues were completely unaware of the fraudulent property grabbing, until one of their cousins casually checked the property’s ownership status online.
It is pertinent to note that land grabbing cases have significantly troubled the state of Goa in recent years, prompting the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to address the issue. Despite some arrests, this serious problem remains unresolved, and the original landowners continue to fight legal battles to reclaim their properties.
The Colva case has profoundly shaken the family of the late Francisco Joao Rodrigues, leaving them to navigate a complex and arduous process to regain ownership of their land. They are now compelled to run from pillar to post in their efforts to restore their property rights.
Shockingly, both the Sub-Registrar office at Salcete and the Mamlatdar office have disclaimed the responsibility by responding to the Rodrigues family’s inquiries with responses such as “files are missing” and “no records are available”, which clearly points towards the illegal usurping of the property.
The office of the Salcete Mamlatdar in its response about the property has stated, “Mutation file number 80005 pertaining to survey number 86/2 in Colva is not available”
The Sub-Register Office, Salcete, in response to an application filed by the family members of the late Francisco Rodrigues through their legal advisor, stated, “The details of the certified copy of the sale deed, registered under number 329 on pages 32 and 36 of book number 1, volume 232, dated July 25, 1981, do not match the office records.”
However, on July 29, 2024, after the issue was raised by the family members of the late Rodrigues, the Mamlatdar Office filed a complaint with the Fatorda police, reporting that file number 80002 is missing.
“We were in total shock when we discovered that a fraudulent sale deed had been executed 14 years after my grandfather’s death, despite him being the sole owner of the property. Can a deceased person execute a sale deed?” asked Alex Rodrigues, grandson of late Francisco Rodrigues.
He further alleged that such actions could not occur without the involvement of officials from the concerned government authorities.
“Why are the records of the said property, including mutations and sale deeds, found missing? They should be available with the concerned offices. This is outright cheating,” alleged Alex Rodrigues.
