PANAJI
The Commission of Inquiry into the cases of land grabs is conducting daily hearings till Tuesday, June 27 following which the inquiry will be posted for final arguments.
The one-man Commission, Chairman Justice V K Jadhav, in its order earlier this week also stated that any non-submission from the complainant, accused, or victims will be presumed that they are now willing to lead any evidence.
“Inquiry hearing will be kept open on a daily basis till June 27 for the evidence of those accused persons/ complainants/ victims…In case they choose not to lead any evidence, they may file the pursis of no evidence. In the event of not filing the pursis till June 27, it will be presumed that they are not willing to lead any evidence,” reads the order.
On June 28 and onwards, Justice Jadhav further said, the inquiry will be posted for final arguments.
It was on September 9, 2022, that the State government notified the appointment of a Commission under retired Justice V K Jadhav to inquire into First Information Reports (FIRs) and complaints pertaining to the land grab and illegal transfer of land in the State.
The Commission is assigned with the task to inquire into and fix responsibilities, finding out loopholes in the administrative system and legal framework if any, probing the involvement of government officers, and recommending changes in the law to prevent such illegalities in the future.
The Commission was also tasked with submitting its report/recommendation to the government within four months from the date of its first sitting. The inquiry began in January 2023 while the hearing started just recently.
