THE GOAN | MAPUSA
The quiet coastal village of Morjim has been left shaken by the sudden and mysterious death of 63-year-old Umakant Khot, a soft-spoken retired port employee whose simple life revolved around his small home and a patch of tenanted land on the slopes of Varchawada.
For those who knew him, Khot was the kind of man who kept to himself, never quarreled with anyone and lived contentedly after his retirement from the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT).
But behind that calm exterior, he was deeply troubled over an unfolding land dispute that had turned his once-peaceful existence into one of anxiety and confrontation.
A tenant fighting for his rights
Khot’s tenanted plot, located on a hill dotted with cashew trees, had recently become the centre of contention after a large adjoining property – around 13,000 sq mts – was allegedly sold to an “outsider”.
The new buyer, locals say, had carved out a road through Khot’s tenanted land to reach his property.
“About six months ago, Khot had filed complaints with several government departments about the illegal road and land sale,” said a relative.
“He felt ignored, but he kept fighting. He believed it was his duty to protect what rightfully belonged to him as a tenant,” he added.
His neighbour, Devanand Gaude, also a tenant on the adjacent parcel of land, recalls Khot’s persistence.
“He would visit the site almost every day. That land meant everything to him. He didn’t want to lose it to outsiders,” Gaude said.
The day everything changed
On Wednesday morning, Khot once again set out to his land, aware that the local talathi was expected to visit for an inspection following his latest complaint about ongoing hill cutting.
“He left around 11.30 am. That was the last time anyone saw him alive,” Gaude said quietly.
When Morjim Talathi S M Sakhalkar arrived at the site at about 1.30 pm, he was met with a disturbing sight.
“The man (Khot) was lying by the side of the newly built road leading to the property where the illegal hill cutting was reported. His relatives were already there, waiting for the ambulance,” Sakhalkar told The Goan.
Murder suspicions emerge
Villagers suspect foul play, alleging that Khot may have been assaulted because he opposed the encroachment and construction activities on the hill.
“He was a thorn in their flesh. He had become an obstacle to their development plans,” one villager murmured.
The suspicion is rooted in a simmering resentment over what locals describe as “outsiders buying up village land.”
The property above Khot’s tenanted plot was reportedly sold by the original owners, the Joshis, to a non-Goan party. The deal, villagers allege, happened without taking Khot – the legal tenant – into confidence.
“The land was full of cashew plantations. Some of us, including the Khot family, even used it as a cremation site,” Gaude said.
“Now they’ve cut down trees, made roads and started digging into the hill. All this started about a year ago,” he added.
A village in unease
In Morjim, a pall of silence hangs heavy. Villagers gather in small groups, whispering about Khot’s fate and the growing threat of land grab in their once-tranquil community.
“Everyone is watching this area. It’s turning into a real estate hotspot. And the people behind it are powerful,” Gaude added grimly.
Former Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte visited the grieving family on Thursday, as the community demanded a thorough and impartial probe.
Meanwhile, Pernem DySP Salim Shaikh confirmed that investigations are underway.
“We brought in the workers who were present at the site when the incident was reported. No arrests have been made yet,” Shaikh said.
Justice and unanswered questions
For now, Morjim waits – grappling with grief, fear and anger. A quiet man who stood his ground for his land has lost his life under mysterious circumstances, and a village that once knew him as a gentle neighbour now looks to the authorities for justice.
