PANJIM: Three masterminds allegedly involved in grabbing nearly two lakh square meters of land spread over 95 properties have been arrested by Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The arrested persons have been identified as Raju Mehti, Royson Rodrigues and Sandric Fernandes. Royson Rodrigues, who was about to flee the country to evade arrest, was nabbed from Mumbai airport on Thursday, while the other two accused were arrested from Goa.
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Royson hailing from Siolim is a seaman by profession. He was arrested at the Mumbai airport after his arrival in India from Dubai.
Speaking to media persons, IGP Omvir Singh Bishnoi said that the detailed research by Francis Noronha, the first complainant in the land grabbing case, helped the police understand the inside story of how land grabbing was effected by unscrupulous elements through forged documents.
According to Singh, Sandric grabbed 64,742 square meters of land across 26 properties and Royson grabbed 1.3 lakh square meters of land distributed over 61 properties using forged and manipulated documents.
The third accused Raju Mehti also transferred four properties in his brother-in-law’s name, details of which are being investigated. Singh said that the police will not leave any stone unturned to build strong evidence and ensure that the accused don’t get bail. Since most of the accused are involved in multiple cases, even if they get bail, they will be rearrested, police asserted.
Most of the land grabbing cases have been reported in coastal areas of North Goa where the land value is more including Anjuna, Badem-Assagao, Calangute, Mapusa, Nerul, Parra, Reis Magos and also at Margao, Vasco etc.
All three accused have been remanded to five days police custody by the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Mapusa. With these arrest, the total number of persons arrested in the cases rose to 15.
Presently the accused are allegedly involved in fraudulently forging sale deeds of as many as 60 properties including 44 in Badem-Assagao, nine in Anjuna and seven in Parra. Till date, the SIT has received complaints regarding 12 properties (nine in Assagao and three in Anjuna) and the same are under investigation by the Crime Branch.
Police said that the accused forged old archives records from the Archives department and fraudulently misrepresented in mutation and Sale Deed Process. To date the accused had fraudulently succeeded in carrying out mutation in eight properties.
Goan politicians named by accused: SIT
Team Herald
PANJIM: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Omvir Singh Bishnoi on Friday disclosed that that some Goan politicians have been named in the confessional statements made by the arrested accused in land grabbing cases.
They (politicians) will be arrested once Special Investigation Team (SIT) gets solid evidence against them, he said.
When asked whether there was involvement of politicians in land grabbing, Bishnoi said, “Right now we have some confessional statement of the accused. We are investigating that part also. Yes, they have named some politicians. Before we arrest anybody I will not name them.”
As regards to involvement of some employees of the Revenue department, the IGP said that investigation is in advanced stage.
