After SIT, Goa panel under HC ex-judge to probe land grabbing cases

The Chief Minister said several illegal land-grabbing cases are being investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the government in June — a first for the state — and it was found in some cases that the property concerned was in “no-man’s land”.

The Justice Jadhav commission is expected to make recommendations on the fate of such properties and suggest any tweaks in the law, if required.

Inspector General of Police Omvir Singh Bishnoi said 15 people have been arrested in cases of 93 properties allegedly grabbed illegally, involving nearly 1.5 lakh sq metre land.

“In some of these cases the property belongs to its real owners, but in some [other] cases we are yet to find the actual owners. What is to be done for that (these properties) is to be decided by the government,” Bishnoi said. So far, the accused have executed 71 illegal sale deeds with forged documents, he said.

According to Bishnoi, 40 cases are under SIT’s probe in connection with the 93 properties — in 26 of these, the “real owners” were the complainants and police are yet to receive complaints from “authorised complainants” in the remaining 67 instances. Bishnoi said, “We have received over 230 petitions. We are in the process of identifying whether these are real owners or third parties.”

Most cases under the SIT’s scanner are in Anjuna, Assagao, Badem, Calangute, Mapusa, Nerul, Parra and Reis Magos areas of North Goa and some from Vasco and Margao in South Goa.

“Efforts are on to find the accused who have fled abroad and several teams are working to nab those in the country,” Bishnoi said.

The SIT, constituted on June 15, is led by Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Nidhin Valsan and includes members from the state’s Archeology and Revenue departments and the state registrar. Chief Minister Sawant had earlier said that he will personally monitor the cases being probed by the SIT.