PANAJI
A day after Anjuna police charged seven persons including bouncers and a security agency owner, with trespass and robbery, all the accused have gone into hiding. They have been charged with forcibly evicting a family from their ‘rental premises’ without Court orders.
The prime accused Janardhan Khorate and his accomplices, who allegedly forced their way into the residence in St Michael’s Waddo, evicted the tenants and made off with valuables including electronic devices and Rs 3 lakh cash.
“The FIR has been filed, but the accused are on the run. They have not been cooperating with the investigation including the owner of the security firm that provided bouncers,” a senior police official told The Goan. “We have launched a massive search for them.”
Sources further revealed that Rajesh Sinary, in his complaint to the Anjuna police claimed that he and his family had been living in the house since May 2022 under a verbal rental agreement, supported by an email communication from the accused, at a monthly rent of Rs 50,000.
He alleged that while he was away, the accused broke in, took away the belongings and even made threatening calls prior to the incident.
Complicating the matter, sources stated that ownership of the property remains legally disputed, with no documents currently supporting Sinary’s claim. However, eviction without a court order constitutes a criminal offense.
While Sinary reportedly sought a legal order to vacate the premises, he and his family resisted what they described as a violent takeover. Police stated that their preliminary probe indicated Khorate and his men used a rear entrance to enter the property forcefully. “The door usually remains open,” he stated adding, “this is a civil dispute, but resorting to criminal force has turned it into a serious criminal case. Those with power of attorney cannot take the law into their own hands. We are investigating all angles.”
A case under sections 189 (2) (unlawful assembly), 191 (2) (rioting), 329 (4) (trespass), 331 (3) (housebreaking), 305 (theft), 351 (4) (criminal intimidation) read with 190 (common intention) of the BNS has been registered.
