PANAJI
As pressure builds to re-arrest fugitive Suleman Siddique Khan, whose role as the mastermind behind multiple land-grabbing operations has been established in a high-level Commission of Inquiry, the findings exposed a complex web of criminal activities including connivance of certain government officials and the forging of Portuguese calligraphy.
The one-man inquiry led by Justice V K Jadhav (retd) painted a concerning picture of departmental negligence that allowed accused persons including Suleman to manipulate the system.
The 622-page report, accepted by the Cabinet in January 2024 and a copy of which is in possession of The Goan, examined how forged documents were used to dispossess original owners and commit fraud amounting to crores.
Mohammad Suhail, also identified as a major player in the illegal land dealings, along with his accomplices prepared fraudulent documents for over 93 properties.
According to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) (Land Grab) findings submitted to the Commission, these accused targeted properties that were nearly abandoned by the original owners; and sold at least 15 properties to unsuspecting buyers using forged documents.
“…accused Mohammad Suhail disclosed that he along with other accomplices prepared fraudulent documents of above 93 properties which were not looked after by the original owners. They have sold about 15 properties to different buyers by making fraudulent and false documents…” the communication to the Commission stated.
At present, Suleman faces charges in seven cases in Goa, with two cases being A-final.
The Commission’s findings also implicated a network of persons including Rajkumar Maithi, Sandric Domnic Fernandes, Noore alias Nure Faizal alias Faizal Bhatkar, Sandeep Vazarkar, Suleman, and the absconding Danver D’Souza, in the commission of various land frauds.
The Directorate of Settlement & Land Records flagged a disturbing trend of illegal mutations in Assagao. A key witness deposed to the Commission that upon reviewing the new survey data, the officials were alarmed to discover a steady increase in such mutations, all based on fake and forged deeds of sale.
The witness’ personal investigation also revealed that the accused persons operated in collusion with government personnel and some staff from the Directorate of Archives and Archaeology, the Civil Registrar-cum-Registrar, the Notary Ex-Officio and the Mamlatdar office in Bardez.
The forged deeds included preparing Portuguese calligraphy documents, complete with fake notarial deeds of sale registered during the Portuguese era and surreptitiously inserted into the records of the Department of Archives & Archaeology with the alleged help of complicit officials.
The Commission corroborated this modus operandi observing the accused systematically targeted ‘innocent’ buyers, selling properties for huge consideration and earning crores of rupees illegally out of it.
“The aforesaid accused persons have hatched the conspiracy to commit the crime in a systematic organized manner. There is hardly any direct evidence available in connection with the hatching of the conspiracy and the same is required to be inferred,” the Commission report added.
The inquiry further noted that a link appears to exist between the accused persons based on investigation papers. “On careful perusal of the investigation papers of the crimes in which they have been arraigned as accused persons, it appears that there is a link revealed during the investigation to prima facie connect them with the alleged commission of crime. The investigation is still going on. It is a major scam, and thus certainly some more time is necessary for carrying out the investigation,” it said.
Justice Jadhav also stressed the need for scientific investigation to verify the authenticity of the documents, age of the ink and paper used.
“However, considering the link prima facie found established in connection with the respective crimes against them in the investigation carried out so far, the Commission finds all of them responsible for the commission of the crimes,” it observed.
