Team Herald

MARGAO: Margao police have registered cases against five individuals, including a Navelim-based advocate and a notary, for alleged land grabbing, through document forgery and cheating.

The accused have been identified as advocate and notary Ramesh Haldankar and his accomplices Salim Ibrahim Doddamani and Rajdeep Kundaikar.

A complaint was lodged with the Margao police by Moosa Sale Mohammed of Colmorod, Navelim, following

which the police registered the offense under IPC Sections 406, 465, 471, 420, and 34 against the accused.

According to the complaint filed by Mohammed, between July 2019 and June 2020, the accused, with their common dishonest intentions, took the original deed papers of two plots admeasuring an area of 457.30 square metres and 460 square metres belonging to him, promising to find them buyers.

These plots are situated at Davorlim, Salcete, described in the land registration office under number 20771 of book number 153 (new series) and enrolled in the land revenue office under matrix no 334 and survey no. 20/2 of Davorlim village. They also took other personal identification documents belonging to the complainant and his wife, under the guise of finding customers for the plots.

The accused then returned coloured photocopies of the documents to the complainant, misappropriated the original documents, and used them to prepare a forged power of attorney (PoA) in the name of Rajdeep Kundiakar. Using the PoA as genuine, the accused then sold the plot to Mohammed Ismail Lalannawar, a resident of Suduband, Colmorod, and Ilyas Abdul Dhalayat of Moti Dongor, Margao, also names as accused in the case.

The two buyers allegedly knew that the power of

attorney was forged and cheated the complainant with dishonest intentions, according to the police complaint.

Margao police have registered an offense against all the accused involved in the case, and further investigation is underway. The police have also taken possession of the documents and are verifying them.