MARGAO
A Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao, has stepped in to monitor police investigations in a case of cheating and forgery, suspecting that the case in question may be just a tip of the iceberg and part of a larger land-grabbing mafia.
While passing an order for court monitoring of the investigations by the Maina-Curtorim police, JMFC Shahir S Issani has observed that it is likely that more such cases would come to light if a thorough investigation is done, adding that timely action by the men-in-uniform will save other innocent persons whose properties may be illegally sold based on forged and fabricated documents.
In the instant case, 67-year old applicant, Deepak Pai Kane had filed a complaint with the Maina-Curtorim police on August 28, 2020, against four known persons and other unknown persons, alleging that they conspired to commit forgery and cheating by fabricating documents and offered his plots for sale.
The applicant came to know of the conspiracy after some of the persons, who were offered the plots, approached him to verify whether he had indeed sold his plots.
He later realized that his signatures on the documents were forged and the same were presented to the office of the Salcete Sub-Registrar for registration. His worst fears came true when inquiries with the office of the Sub-Registrar showed that the sale deeds existed in the record books of the Sub-Registrar.
He later learned that the NOCs purportedly issued by the Town and Country Planning department were also forged by counterfeiting the department’s seals and by forging the signature of the Deputy Town Planner.
Kane moved the court of JMFC for monitoring of the probe after he found that investigations did not progress much after Maina-Curtorim police registered an FIR and arrested one person in connection with the case.
He submitted before the court that the manner in which the documents were forged showed that there were a number of co-conspirators.
Judge Issani observed that case needed to be thoroughly investigated as this could be just the tip of the iceberg and connected to a larger syndicate.
“It is very likely that such similar documents may have been prepared with respect to other properties where innocent persons may have fallen prey to the look of the documents and parted with their hard-earned money,” the judge added.
Saying this is a fit case for the court to monitor the investigations, Judge Issani issued directions to the investigation officer to mention in his report the nature of probe carried out from the date of the last report.
“Reports submitted containing the above-specified matters will enable the court to know at one glance the status of the investigation and to ascertain whether a sincere investigation is done or not. Such reports will also constitute material based on which the court may make recommendations, the judge said.
The judge further directed that the investigation officer concerned shall remain personally present before the court along with the case diary on 23.11.2020 and thereafter on every date fixed for hearing, making clear that any default in compliance invite action.
