BASURI DESAI
PANJIM: In a stark reflection of the hurdles faced by ordinary citizens in seeking justice, a local resident from Colvale, Bardez, was forced to approach the court after repeated appeals to various government departments failed to initiate action against alleged forgery of land records.
Following the court’s direction, the Goa Police have now registered an FIR and launched an investigation into the matter.
The case involves Amul Prakash Mainkar, a resident of Chikali, Colvale, who alleged that two individuals, Firoz Khan and Tulshidas Tukaram Harmalkar forged a government land survey plan to falsely depict a road access through his family’s tenanted agricultural land in Survey No. 277/0 of Colvale village. This alleged forgery was reportedly done to support claims in a civil dispute filed before the Joint Mamlatdar.
According to the complaint and documents produced in court, the accused are said to have fraudulently altered a certified survey plan by drawing two parallel lines to indicate an access road through Mainkar’s tenanted land, which does not exist in the original records.
The manipulated plan was then submitted as evidence in official proceedings to falsely establish a right of way. However, the original plan obtained through RTI showed no such markings, clearly revealing the discrepancy and the intent to deceive authorities for personal gain.
“I knocked on every door — from the Mamlatdar to the Police and even the Survey Department — but no one was willing to act against such blatant forgery,” said complainant Amul Prakash Mainkar. “I had no choice but to approach the court to protect my family’s land from being encroached upon through manipulation of government records.”
He further added, “What is most shocking is how official land records can be tampered with so easily and used to mislead authorities. This is not just a personal issue — it is a serious threat to public trust in the system.”
Despite filing formal complaints with multiple authorities, including the Deputy Collector’s office (Mamlatdar, Bardez), Mapusa Police, and the Directorate of Survey and Land Records, Mainkar’s efforts were met with inaction. Left with no alternative, he filed a criminal application under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code before the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Mapusa.
In her order dated April 19, 2025, the Judge Vaishali A Lotlikar found prima facie evidence suggesting the commission of cognisable offences, including forgery, use of forged documents, cheating, and criminal conspiracy. Citing the forged survey plans produced by the accused, the Court directed the Mapusa Police to register an FIR under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 463, 465, 466, 468, 471, 177, 182, 120B read with Section 34.
The order emphasised that despite detailed complaints and supporting documents submitted under the RTI Act, the local authorities failed to act, leaving the complainant with no choice but to invoke judicial intervention.
This development sheds light on the growing number of property-related forgeries reported in Bardez and raises concerns over the apparent apathy of state agencies in addressing them. The case will now proceed under police investigation, with wider implications for the misuse of public records and the role of land management bodies in Goa.