Four accused still at large in 2.8 lakh sqm land scam
MAPUSA
In a case that underscores the growing menace of land grabbing through fraudulent means, Mapusa Police have arrested two individuals for allegedly forging documents and fabricating a will to illegally acquire nearly 2.8 lakh square meters of ancestral property in Corjuem, Aldona.
The arrested accused have been identified as Devidas Gopinath Panjikar and Vaman Shridhar Polle.
Both were taken into custody after their applications for anticipatory bail were rejected by the district court three days ago.
According to police sources, a total of six individuals, including a land broker, are accused of conspiring to create a fake will in the name of the late Anant Narayan Kamat.
The forged documents were allegedly used to fraudulently transfer ownership of vast tracts of land spread across multiple survey numbers in Corjuem: 52/0, 51/3, 50/7, 100/7, 100/1, 53/8, 55/8, 55/9, 28/1 (part), and 140/1 (part).
The case came to light after multiple legal heirs of the deceased filed a complaint with Mapusa Police, alleging a criminal conspiracy involving impersonation, forgery and deception aimed at illegally acquiring the high-value ancestral properties.
The accused named in the First Information Report (FIR) include: Vishant Kamat (land broker), Suhasini Padwal, Prakash Mahambre, Vaman Shridhar Polle, Devidas Gopinath Panjikar and one unidentified person.
Police have invoked stringent sections under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, specifically Sections 319(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2) and 318(4) read with 3(5), which deal with forgery, conspiracy and criminal impersonation.
The complainants have also alleged the involvement of a public notary, a stamp vendor and a legal professional, indicating a wider nexus aimed at legitimising the forged will and facilitating the fraudulent land transfer.
Police said a manhunt is underway to trace and arrest the remaining four accused.
