Asmita Polji
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Mapusa: On November 16, 1999, Michael D’sa was alive. But he was certified dead. Thanks to a fake death certificate by the Hospicio hospital. With this, the process of transferring his land to his “cousin” as next of kin started. His death the cousin and the next of kin status of the cousin were all fake. And yet for the actual, next of kin of the man, the property not only got transferred to the fraudsters but ultimately sold to builders who are building villas on the same plot where their ancestral land stood.
Yet another can of worms of Goa’s large-scale land grab and loot that the Herald has been reporting. These details are a part of the police complaint filed by the daughter of Michael D’sa, Marilyn Carmen D’Sa
The 1000 sq mts land was sold to a third party which is building these four villas. The case again highlights how the concerned authorities, especially the police department, failed to act when the complaint was filed way back in 2018.
The daughter of the original owner Marilyn Carmen D’Sa, who lives in Mumbai said, “My father Michael D’Sa (Miguel Arcanjo Xavier de Sa) was the owner of this property under Survey No. 93/10 located at Belawista Vaddo in Sangolda admeasuring 1000 sq.m with an old residential house existing therein. We used to visit the said property when my father was alive,” Marilyn said.
Later, Michael D’Sa had a stroke which left him bed-ridden and because of it, the family’s visits to Goa were restricted.
“My father passed away on March 25, 2002. That year I visited the property along with my mother and subsequently either my mother and I or my brother used to visit the said property to ensure that there were no encroachers. Later on, my mother’s health also began to deteriorate and so our visits to Goa became less frequent,” she said.
“My mother passed away in Mumbai on January 26, 2017, after which I visited the property in January 2018. I was shocked to find construction work going on there. Upon filing an RTI application with the Sangolda Panchayat, I discovered that during our absence in Goa, one Bridget D’Sa impersonating herself to be the cousin of my late father commenced inventory proceedings.
She further added that on obtaining a copy of the inventory proceedings she discovered that the said Bridget D’Sa claiming to be the only heir of her late father, appointed three persons as her attorneys namely Violet D’Mello, her daughter Jessica Rodrigues and son Lourencio D’Mello (all shown to be residing at Flat no. 1, Ground Floor, Sai Complex, Alto Betim) and got the said property allotted to her.
D’Sa alleged that the fake death certificate purportedly issued by the Margao Municipal Council, certifying that Michael D’Sa had expired on November 16, 1999, at Hospicio Hospital, Margao was issued for the allotment of the property in Bridget’s name.
The complaint states that on the basis of the false statements on oath, misrepresentation and impersonations, the final order was passed and the said property came to be allotted to Bridget D’Sa, Marilyn claimed.
It was learnt that the property was then sold to Rajesh Sen, Zafrul Haq Khan and Feroz Khan in September 2011 who subsequently sold it to Rajiv Malhan, Manoj Sharma and Anuj Malhan in August 2012 who has built four villas and sold it out.
It was also learnt that the death certificate issued was of an entirely different individual (Bhagawant Desai) and there are no records of the death of Michael D’Sa, son of Digo Marie D’Sa, date of death 16/11/1999 in the office of MMC.
The complainant has filed a civil suit and criminal complaint before the Mapusa Court and the verification process in the matter is in progress.
D’Sa said that she lodged a complaint at Mapusa Police Station on September 27, 2018, however, no action was taken until June 9, 2022.
The Mapusa police have registered offences under sections 469, 466, 467, 468, 471, 419, 420, 198, 202, 209 r/w 34 of the Indian Penal Code and have booked Bridget D’Sa resident of Pilerne and Violet Dmello, Jessica Rodrigues and Laurencio D’mello all residents of Alto Betim.
As the daughter fights, the impersonator cousin is laughing all the way to wherever the ill-gotten wealth is stacked. Another dream of a family of the soil lies crushed.
