PANAJI
The Goa government has proposed the designation of a Special Court to prosecute cases investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on land grabbing.
The one-man Commission of Inquiry (Land Grab) led by retired Justice V K Jadhav, submitted to the government in October 2023 and accepted by the cabinet in January 2024, strongly recommended a Special Court.
In its official communication to the Registrar General, Under Secretary (Law Department) Amir Parab -- on behalf of the State government -- proposed designating a Special Court.
“To ensure proper prosecution and speedy trial in these cases, the Government has approved the proposal to designate a Special Court to prosecute cases investigated by the SIT (Land Grab), Ribandar… I respectfully request to place the above proposal before the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court for his concurrence for the designating of the Special Court to prosecute cases investigated by SIT (Land Grab) enabling the State government to issue necessary notification,” reads the communication.
The Jadhav-recommendation had mentioned the Court would have sweeping powers to determine civil and criminal liabilities, bind judgments on all parties and restore land to rightful owners.
“State government must appoint a Special Court a public prosecutor... The Special Court is empowered to determine the order in which the civil and criminal liability against the land grabber to be initiated. It is the discretion of the Special Court whether or not to deliver its decision or order until both civil and criminal proceedings are completed,” the report mentioned.
While the Commission insisted these cases be disposed within six months, recommendations also included enacting a comprehensive law, tentatively titled “The Goa Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 2023,” which would criminalize land grabbing, nullify illegal transactions and provide a robust legal framework for the prevention and prosecution of such offenses.
