CM says more arrests likely in land-grab investigation

PANAJI

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said more arrests were likely as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to investigate fraudulent deals and cases of land-grab proceeds with its work.

Sawant said people have begun to approach him with complaints but he has advised them to directly report matters to the SIT. 

The chief minister also said that the administration will henceforth be doubly cautious whenever land belonging to Goans living outside the State and even abroad is involved in any transaction.

Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) Jaspal Singh, IPS, has said that there is absolutely no pressure on the SIT in conducting the investigations into fraudulent land deals.

Singh said the police department will provide adequate manpower and officers to the SIT as and when its work increases as more and more cases of fraudulent transfer of land come to light.

The SIT was set up last week after the government came across several cases of dubious land deals including sale deeds and transfer (mutation) over the last decade and more. 

It has so far registered FIRs in cases of land in Assagao and Anjuna where it has already arrested two persons. St Inez resident, Mohammad Suhail (46) was arrested for his alleged involvement in the case of alleged land-grab at Assagao days after Gogol resident Vikrant Shetty was arrested in the same case.

Shetty was arrested on Sunday and remanded to police custody for five days by a Mapusa court and investigations had provided the SIT leads into several other such cases in North Goa.