PANAJI
A considerable portion of the ancestral property belonging to the family of UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman was sold to a real estate developer in 2019 for constructing a residential building with a swimming pool.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has launched a probe into the illegal sale of the property located in the picturesque Assagao village to Pune-based Avon Shire Developments in 2019.
Christie Santano Godfrey Fernandes addressed his complaint to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and NRI Commissioner, Goa followed by registration of FIR under different Sections of IPC.
A Goan advocate granting a ‘Certificate of Title’ to new survey number 253-/3-A that formed a part of the larger property on survey number 253/3 has startled the investigating officers, who are now preparing summons to quiz the former along with government officials involved in clearing the property documents.
Details with The Goan reveals that through a sale deed dated February 1, 2019, registered in the Office of Sub-Registrar, Bardez, R9 Ventures -- that was sold 1/3rd undivided rights in the property by a family member Asha Fernandes Kambli in 2018 -- sold a distinct portion of the land from ‘property 1’ to the Pune firm.
Asha Fernandes Kambli (original name Anita Alicia Fernandes) was the sole legal heir and since her marriage to Arjun Kambli was not under the Law of General Communion of Assets, no rights were accrued to the Kambli family following the death of Arjun in 2011. As such, documents reveal that Asha sold her undivided rights of area 2458 sq mtrs in Property 1 and 4217 sq mtrs in Property 2 to R9 Ventures.
Of the total, 3486 sq mtrs were sold to Avon Shire Developments which was eventually partitioned with a new survey number 253/3-A in a procedure carried out by Deputy Collector-II Bardez. The Form I & XIV Pune confirmed the property was mutated in the name of the Pune Company.
Conversion sanad issued by the Deputy Collector and Technical Clearance granted by the Senior Town Planner in Mapusa in 2020 gave the company permission to construct a residential building with a swimming pool and compound wall.
As the entire procedure was shockingly carried out without any iota of doubt by the concerned officials, the Assagao village panchayat then issued a construction license in 2021.
The complainant, a Goan-born UK resident, has alleged that unknown impersonators executed the entire deal while the family is settled overseas and unaware about the matter. The documents with The Goan further show that the Advocate having her office in Patto-Panaji opined on the Certificate of Title that Avon Shire Developments obtained all the required permissions/approvals to initiate the construction activity.
“Based on the documents produced and the searches conducted, I opine that Avon Shire Developments, a Partnership Firm is the absolute owner in possession of the distinct portion admeasuring 3486 sq mtrs surveyed under new survey numbers 253/3-A forming part of the larger property known as ‘Madunga’ admeasuring an area of 7375 sq mtrs, situated at Assago village…” it said.
The SIT, formed about three months ago to exclusively probe large-scale land frauds, is expected to summon all the concerned from the office of Town & Country Planning, Collectorate, and local Village Panchayat among others, besides the advocate.
“We have registered an offense and commenced a probe. All those connected with the case, whether in Goa or outside and a government employee or private individual, will be interrogated. Our team is certain to find the impersonator/s,” an officer said while not ruling out arrests in the case.
