AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
Workers at three upmarket restaurants oper ating on land owned by the Goa Tourism Development Corpora tion (GTDC) were left stunned after the corporation sealed the premises on February 20, 2026, following the termination of its lease agreement with business man Anubhav Sharma. “We were simply told to leave as the place had been sealed by the GTDC. We were given neither notice nor compensation. We had no idea this was coming,” said Abu, one of the affected employees who is now des perately seeking new employment. According to senior GTDC offi cials, the corporation decided to reclaim the 2,045-square-metre prime property located at Sur vey No 597/2 in Anjuna, Vagator, after Sharma allegedly default ed on lease payments for several months. The outstanding dues are said to have crossed Rs 40 lakh. “He had stopped making pay ments for many months. After following due legal procedure, we cancelled the agreement and took back possession of the land,” a sen ior GTDC official said on condition of anonymity. After sealing the establishments, GTDC officials pasted notices on the premises stating: “This premise has been TAKEN OVER AND SEALED by Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. The owner ship of this property is with Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. Trespassers shall be prosecuted.” Officials maintained that the corporation had no direct dealings with the restaurant operators or staff. “Our agreement was with Sharma. Any arrangement he had with the restaurant owners or employees is not our concern. The lease clearly allowed us to repossess the land in case of default, and that is what we have done,” a GTDC revenue department officer said. The sealing follows developments earlier in the month when a team from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), re portedly from outside the Panjim zonal office, conducted a raid at Sharma’s residence in Vagator on February 9. The team arrived early in the morning and left around midday. Neighbours said Sharma and his wife have not been seen since the raid. “They are a pleasant couple. After the ED raid, they left and haven’t returned. It appears they are caught in this situation because their son has been arrested in Delhi,” a neighbour said. According to national media reports, Sharma’s son, Dhruv Dutt Sharma, was arrested in Delhi on February 6 for allegedly selling a floor of a building to over 25 buyers through fraudulent means. He was subsequently produced before a city court and remanded in police custody. Sharma’s legal team has reportedly filed a case against GTDC in the Sessions Court challenging the takeover. Attempts to contact Sharma for comment were unsuc cessful, as neighbours declined to share his contact details. Meanwhile, GTDC officials indicated that the corpora tion plans to re-lease the property once legal issues are re solved. “The property will be tendered again after all legal complications are sorted out,” a senior employee said. As the Sharma residence remains closed, guarded only by security personnel, former employees of the three res taurants find themselves caught in the crossfire.
