Augusto Rodrigues
ANJUNA: Enraged residents claiming that private property was being destroyed and encroached on in the name of road widening in Anjuna lodged two police complaints on Thursday, but the cops stayed mute spectators as the work continued unabated.
O Heraldo reported on Tuesday that according to PWD and Anjuna Panchayat, no work order had been issued for the job.
Multiple Anjunkars claimed that the police inaction was due to the involvement of two MLAs — their own Siolim legislator Delilah Lobo and her husband, Calangute MLA Michael Lobo — in the destruction. Some residents are now planning to approach the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court to get themselves heard and seek justice.
The allegations against the Lobos gathered steam after a family living in the UK claimed that their gate and compound wall were demolished without their knowledge.
On Thursday, Shalini Gomes, who rushed to Anjuna from Gujarat after receiving alarming reports, found an old cross had been removed and a new one was reportedly being constructed on her property on Survey No. 484 — allegedly without consent from her or her family. Confronting Michael Lobo at the site, Gomes asked, “What is this going on? How can you decide to do what you want on my land without informing us? Please stop the work now.”
Police were seen standing nearby and watching — but they did not intervene. Gomes later filed a complaint at the Anjuna Police Station.
A day earlier, National RTI Award winner Rajan Ghate submitted a formal complaint on behalf of octogenarian Jaganath Sawat, highlighting that private boundary walls were demolished without adhering to legal procedures.
The complaint cited both a High Court ruling requiring a 15-day notice and Supreme Court guidelines issued in December 2024 regarding land acquisition protocols.
“Our objective in approaching the High Court is not merely to stop the unlawful actions of the MLA couple, but to ensure their prosecution,” said Alex Noronha, a concerned Anjuna resident.
Residents from nearby Siolim, already familiar with similar incidents involving the Lobos, say the pattern of alleged encroachment is consistent. “The strategy is the same – walls are demolished, trees made vulnerable. The only difference is that trees haven’t been cut yet, though excavation work around their roots makes them likely to fall,” said Aaron Fernandes, who has filed a petition on behalf of affected villagers.
Meanwhile, Rosy Fernandes, a UK-based Goan whose family home in Survey No. 1341/2 was reportedly targeted, expressed shock over the demolition of their gate and compound wall. “My elderly parents are devastated. No notice was given, not even to our relatives who live nearby. This is a clear breach of Supreme Court directives. We will fight back,” she said in a phone interview with O Heraldo.
Around 11 am on Thursday, tensions rose further when a local woman confronted Michael Lobo at a site where a cross was being rapidly constructed. “Why can’t you stop the work and wait for the landowners? By building without permission you will only land up losing your money when it will be ordered to be demolished,” she said.
Meanwhile, Edgar Afonso, an engineer from Calangute with ancestral ties to Anjuna, issued a clarification distancing himself from reports that quoted Michael Lobo saying that he would be rebuilding the balcony of local resident Janice Plavinkal. “People are mistaking someone else for me, which has led to confusion. I have no involvement in the matter,” he said.
Till the time of going to press, Director General of Police Alok Kumar had yet to respond to queries sent via WhatsApp regarding the lack of a work order for the road widening in Anjuna and the police inaction despite complaints.