THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Nearly a week after he came under the radar of the Panaji police in the case of a fake occupancy certificate issued to a building at Bhatlem, CCP councillor Uday Madkaikar has feigned ignorance and filed a counter-complaint suggesting it's the handiwork of unknown persons who are trying to malign him.
Madkaikar filed his complaint with the Panaji police on Wednesday and told media persons that he had never used the purported 'occupancy certificate' and had no knowledge of it.
The alleged forgery was flagged by top bureaucrat Melvin Vaz who officiated as CCP Commissioner a few years ago. In a letter to the CCP Commissioner Ajit Roy, Vaz alleged that Madkaikar and some unknown CCP officials were involved in issuing fake occupancy certificates for the third floor of a building at Bhatlem, in which his (Vaz's) signature was forged.
Based on Vaz's letter, Roy filed a complaint with the Panaji police who immediately registered the FIR and launched an investigation.
Madkaikar was quizzed by the police for several hours on Tuesday as part of the investigations. The police have also taken into custody several files and documents from the CCP, including the inward/outward register and occupancy certificate register.
However, the file pertaining to the occupancy certificate under investigation is suspiciously missing from the CCP.
The lower division clerk Deepak Satardekar, who is handling the files of the technical section (CCP) was also questioned by the police and his statement was recorded in the case.
Madkaikar sought to explain that he would accrue no benefit from the purported 'Occupancy Certificate' as his application for development permission is pending with the NGPDA since 2015, after he got the zoning certificate. The claim however does not cut much ice.
Madkaikar also claimed that he has never applied or taken such occupancy certificate from the CCP.
"I was not aware of the fact that an Occupancy Certificate was taken in my name," Madkaikar said when asked why there was a delay of nearly a week on his part to file a complaint.
The Panaji police, meanwhile, have approached the Town and Country Planning Department, as well as the Electricity and Public Works Departments to share information whether Madkaikar has submitted the alleged forged certificate to these authorities at any time.
The police have also taken from Madkaikar documents pertaining to the property bearing chalta No. 11, PT sheet 126 at Bhatlem where the building stands.
The police have also attached a copy of the show-cause notice issued to him alleging illegal construction which is pending adjudication with the CCP.
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