Complainants lodge complaint against 2 fraudsters, seek justice; claim illicitly transferred ownership of ancestral lands
MAPUSA
Despite the State government’s efforts to establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to combat land-grabbing, new allegations continue to emerge in Goa.
The latest case in Sodiem-Siolim underscores the growing crisis, pushing the State’s ongoing struggle with land fraud to new depths.
In a case that has left local residents disturbed and seeking justice, three individuals, Maria Priscilla D’Souza, Sabrina Dias, and Vineeta D’Souza have lodged a formal complaint against two alleged fraudsters who, they claim, illicitly transferred ownership of ancestral lands to their names.
Alleged fraud, forgery scheme
The three local residents filed a complaint at the Mapusa police station on August 23, alleging that Reggie Fernandes, along with another individual, had fraudulently registered their names as occupants in land records – Form I and XIV – for properties that belong to their families.
According to Maria Priscilla D’Souza, the property under survey number 201/6 in Gaunsawado, Sodiem-Siolim was registered in her late father Pascoal D’Souza’s name since 1966.
D’Souza asserts that her father neither sold nor transferred any portion of the land, nor did she, as his legal heir, conduct any such transaction following his death.
Yet, to her surprise, the names of Fernandes and another individual appeared in the record as occupants.
“A fraud and forgery has been committed by the two individuals in collusion with the talathi and the mamlatdar,” D’Souza alleged in her complaint.
Both Sabrina Dias and Vineeta D’Souza claim a similar tactic was used to list Fernandes and his associate as occupants in two other properties belonging to them – survey numbers 202/8 and 201/8 – raising suspicions that the alleged scheme could be more extensive.
Legal, procedural irregularities
A senior property lawyer explained that, by law, an individual’s name can be entered into the survey record only through specific legal avenues, such as a sale deed, succession (with proof of lineage on Form I and XIV), or a declaratory decree or court order.
None of these conditions, however, were fulfilled in this case, as per the complainants, making the appearance of Fernandes’ name on the official record highly questionable.
The lawyer’s assessment adds weight to the allegation of procedural misconduct, possibly involving affidavits with false information to legitimise the land transfer.
Police response, delays
Although the complaint was filed more than two months ago, the Mapusa police have yet to file a formal FIR, prompting questions regarding the investigative urgency in a matter that appears straightforward.
Maria Priscilla D’Souza’s repeated communications with the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) have also gone unanswered, despite two letters detailing her concerns over the alleged fraud and warning of the potential for widespread fraud if such incidents are not promptly addressed.
Mapusa’s Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sandesh Chodankar, acknowledged the time elapsed since the complaint but defended the police’s process.
“The complainants are not cooperating. We have asked them in writing to produce their ownership documents which they refuse to do,” Chodankar said, further adding that the other party has produced documents claiming his right.
But the complainants have accused the police of dishonesty, claiming they are attempting to shield the alleged fraudster instead of seeking the truth.
“What right does the police have to scrutinise our title documents? That is a matter for the courts to decide. We possess all the relevant documentations. The police are trying to mislead us in order to protect the suspect for reasons known only to them,” D’Souza stated.
Small victory amid bureaucratic stagnation
While police and government action appear stagnant, D’Souza has managed a temporary win by securing a stay on the land mutation process for survey number 201/6.
D’Souza’s persistence, paired with her legal action, brings a glimmer of hope, but the incident highlights ongoing challenges in Goa’s property dispute landscape, where alleged collusion and slow-moving bureaucratic responses hinder timely justice.
While the government’s efforts to curb land-grab cases through the SIT have raised public expectations of swifter and more thorough investigations, but cases like this point to persistent gaps in enforcement.
As bureaucratic delays continue, the State risks eroding trust in local authorities, leaving citizens wondering if their ancestral lands are truly secure.
