PANAJI
In a fresh twist to the controversy surrounding the allegedly illegal bungalow at the Old Goa heritage zone, Congress leader and lawyer Carlos Ferreira on Thursday alleged that the signature of the original owner on various applications for development of the property are forged.Ferreira, who addressed a press conference at the Congress state headquarters on Thursday, also said that a complaint of forgery and fraud had been filed by Jose Maria de Gouveia de Pinto, the original owner of the land which was sold to the developers, with the state police and the Old Goa village panchayat.
"Once a plot is sold, the person (person who has sold the property) has no right to write an application. He cannot (apply) for construction or development licence because the other owner is in the picture now," Ferreira told reporters.
"The sale deed is dated 2015. In 2016, there was an application for reconstruction before the panchayat. It has been signed by someone else. It is not the owner's signature. Who can say it is not the right signature? The owner. The owner met us. He gave me a complaint. We are filing the complaint before the police now. We will send a complaint to the panchayat," Ferreira also said.
The controversial construction carried out by Manish Munot and his partner Survarna Lotlikar, spouse of now former Goa Forward party leader Suraj Lotlikar continues to face protests at the site near the St Cajetan Church in Old Goa. Protestors have demanded the demolition of the structure on grounds of illegalities.
Ferreira said that the applications made to authorities for permissions are frauds and added that the Congress will not relent until the structure is demolished.
"We have marked a copy (of the complaint) to Chief Town Planner, CRZ and ASI, saying if documents with this signature are submitted to you for permissions, please revoke them as per law. This is a big breakthrough... This is a fraud. There is a legal phrase, 'fraud vitiates every action'," he said. The complaint has been filed citing sections 465 (forgery), 471 (fraud) and 419 (cheating by impersonation) and section 420 (cheating) with section 34 (common intention).
While the original signature of Jose Maria de Gouveia de Pinto, Ferreira said, was longish, the allegedly forged signature was a short one.
"You do not need an expert. you need to tally the signature on a sale deed. You do not need to send it to Hyderabad. Accordingly, permission should be revoked, an FIR should be filed and the accused should be prosecuted," Ferreira said.
When asked how he had come across the fresh batch of documents which allegedly indicate fraud, Ferreira said: "The panchayat sent a notice to the owner, saying conditions of ASI, TCP have been violated. The owner was shocked he came to me and said he had not applied for any permission".
"We had replied to the panchayat saying we do not know about this and we asked for documents. We asked under RTI and got these documents which are a fraud," he also said.
"This is a fraud committed against the government and panchayat. I have a feeling this has been done in active connivance with the government machinery, because the manner in which permissions are granted are all questionable...," he said.
