The very controversial Mamlatdar, Rahul Dessai “ charged with facilitating land fraud and cheating the State exchequer - was finally suspended from the service pending a disciplinary inquiry. The suspension order on Tuesday followed a Vigilance report into his alleged involvement in the fraud.
“There was substance to the allegations of land fraud against him. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) had also arrested him although Dessai managed to get conditional bail. To ensure he does not interfere with the ongoing matter directly or indirectly, the Vigilance report recommended his suspension…” said a source.
The Goan was the first to report that Dessai was yet to face his suspension for the crime and continued to be posted as Bardez Mamlatdar which is when he allegedly facilitated and masterminded the scam worth crores of rupees. The government thereafter transferred the Mamlatdar to Mormugao sans departmental action. Several complaints are pending against him.
Some Revenue officials, currently and formerly posted at Bardez and other taluka offices have also come under the scanner. The investigating team is examining all the transactions of these officials and their employment history at different offices in addition to retrieving their call records and messages.
Dessai faces two FIRs by the SIT for an offence wherein he is charged with conniving with a prime accused, Royson Rodrigues, and his accomplices to forge land-related documents and allow their sale for a whopping amount. Rodrigues had confessed to the SIT that he connived with Dessai to illegally transfer ownership rights.
