MAPUSA
In the quiet village of Cunchelim in Mapusa, a scam involving comunidade land partly acquired by the government has unravelled, leaving over 140 families on the brink of despair.
Duped into purchasing parcels of land, these unsuspecting buyers have spent their life savings – amounting to crores of rupees – only to now face the possibility of seeing their homes demolished.
What seemed like an opportunity to build a future has turned into a nightmare, exposing deep-rooted corruption that allegedly implicates local politicians, including members of Cunchelim comunidade and the Mapusa Municipal Council.
The fraud was exposed last week when officials from the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR) visited the site to conduct a land survey and demarcation.
Following the inspection, hundreds of distressed victims flocked to the Mapusa Police Station, lodging complaints that they had been duped into purchasing land by individuals claiming it was legally available for development.
Victims allege that certain karyakartas and supporters of a prominent local politician were involved in the fraudulent transactions.
These individuals reportedly accepted payments ranging from Rs 4.5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for land parcels measuring between 100 and 250 square meters, promising legal possession and clearance for building houses.
However, the land in question belongs to the comunidade and the sales were unauthorised.
One of the victims, Priyanka, expressed her devastation, saying, "I was told the land belonged to the panchayat and I was assured everything was legal. I paid Rs 7.5 lakh for the land, only to find out now that my house might be demolished. Why didn’t the authorities intervene sooner?"
Another victim, Satish, revealed that he had paid Rs 4.5 lakh for his plot and taken out a Rs 25 lakh loan to construct a house.
He accused those involved of ruining his life, as his property now faces destruction.
Allegations have been made against Mapusa Municipal Councillor Chandreshekar Benkar, who has been named as a beneficiary of the scam.
Benkar, however, denied any involvement, stating that his role was limited to facilitating electricity connections during his previous term.
"As councillor of the ward, some people approached me for electricity. I helped with that, but they paid the contractor for the service," he said.
The land in question is not only part of a comunidade but also includes an area earmarked as a common burial ground under the Outline Development Plan (ODP) of Mapusa.
In 2010, the Cunchelim comunidade passed a resolution to reserve 15,000 square metres of land (Survey No. 10/11 and P.T. Sheet No. 2) for a common burial ground. The plan designated 5,000 square metres each for Hindu, Christian, and Muslim cremation and burial grounds.
In 2018, the State government sanctioned Rs 8 crore for land acquisition for the burial ground.
A senior police official expressed disbelief over how so many people were duped without conducting proper inquiries.
"These affected people have essentially become trespassers on land belonging to someone else," the official said.
While no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered yet, preliminary inquiries have begun.
The scam has left hundreds of residents in despair, with their homes in jeopardy and financial futures uncertain, highlighting the vulnerability of unsuspecting buyers in the face of fraudulent land deals.
