‘Land parcels in Pilerne acquired fraudulently’
Panaji : The Enforcement Directorate’s Panaji zonal office has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 60.05 crore in connection with its ongoing investigation related to land grabbing in Goa against Estevan Dsouza and others.
The ED said the assets attached comprise land parcels in Pilerne, in Bardez, which were found to have been unlawfully acquired using forged sale deeds and fabricated affidavit-cum-no objection certificates (NOCs).
The properties have been attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The properties are held in the name of Rosa Maria Dsouza, the grandmother of Dsouza, the ED said, adding that the attachment is in addition to an earlier Provisional Attachment Order (PAO) dated November 8, 2023, in which properties worth Rs 11.82 crore were attached.
That attachment was confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority on April 8, 2024.
The agency initiated the probe on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Goa police against Estevan Dsouza and others, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for offences, including cheating and forgery, involving the illegal transfer of property ownership using fake documentation.
The ED investigation has revealed that Estevan Dsouza played a key role in the alleged land scam, in collusion with Mohammed Suhail and others.
They are alleged to have orchestrated a scheme involving the forgery and manipulation of land-related documents, including sale deeds, to fraudulently acquire multiple high-value properties.
These documents were then misrepresented as genuine to lend a façade of legitimacy to the illegal transactions.
Further investigation is under progress, said the ED.
Special courts designated to tackle land grab cases
Panaji : The state government has designated special courts in North Goa and South Goa to exclusively deal with and decide land grabbing cases.
The court of District Judge I and Additional Sessions Judge, Panaji (district level) will handle cases in North Goa, while District Judge I and Additional Sessions Judge, Margao (district level) will deal with those in South Goa. A notification issued by the department of law and judiciary stated that based on the recommendations by retired Justice VK Jadhav, chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Land Grabbing, and with the concurrence of the High Court of Bombay, these courts have been designated.
The courts will handle both existing and future land grabbing cases until new legislation is enacted.
