MAPUSA
The land deal between the Tivim Comunidade and a Pune-based private university is growing increasingly contentious, as gaunkars and villagers have lodged a complaint with the Colvale Police against the managing committee members and the escrivão.
The complaint alleges fraud and forgery in the transfer of 2,00,000 square meters of comunidade land to Maharashtra Academy of Engineering & Educational Research’s MIT Group of Institutions, Pune (MAEER).
The complainants claim that the managing committee, in collusion with the escrivao, handed over the land under Survey No 88/1 without following due procedures.
The transfer, they allege, was done at a meagre rate of Rs 12.50 per square meter, along with a deposit of Rs 5 crore, which they contend is grossly undervalued.
Senior advocate Carlos Ferreira, representing the gaunkars and villagers, led the delegation to file the complaint.
“The managing committee has betrayed the trust of the Comunidade by creating false documents and manipulating records. If the police fail to act, we will take legal recourse to ensure justice is served,” said Ferreira.
Allegations of forgery, misrepresentation
According to the complaint, the managing committee, including President Minguel Sequeira, Attorney James D’Souza, Treasurer Joselan Pereira and Escrivão Pranav Parsekar, allegedly fabricated minutes of an Extraordinary General Body Meeting (EGBM) held on February 25.
The handwritten minutes submitted for approval, the complainants allege, were falsified to favour MAEER.
The gaunkars stated that the handwritten minutes were illegible and inconsistent with the typed minutes, which were not submitted to the Administrator for government approval as required under Article 31 of the Code of Comunidades.
They further alleged that specific paragraphs were fraudulently inserted into the handwritten minutes, specifying the land rate and deposit terms. “Even a qualified handwriting expert would struggle to decipher the text in these handwritten minutes. However, it is evident that someone with different handwriting inserted key details to manipulate the deal,” said one of the complainants.
Demand for FIR, action
Ferreira emphasised the need for immediate police action, including the filing of an FIR. The complaint also highlights procedural lapses, including the lack of transparency regarding the terms of the land deal and the absence of an auction.
The Colvale police are yet to register an FIR in the case.
The gaunkars and villagers have warned of escalating the matter to the courts if immediate action is not taken.
