MAPUSA
Eight days after his arrest in connection with the Cunchelim land scam, Ramesh Rao, a supervisor at the Mapusa Municipal Council, was suspended from service on Friday.
The suspension order was issued by Mapusa Chief Officer Chandrakant Shetkar following Rao’s alleged involvement in the unauthorized sale of comunidade land, which reportedly defrauded victims of Rs 39 lakh.
Rao, along with another individual, was arrested by Mapusa Police on November 20. Two days later, a third accused was arrested in the same scam.
The alleged scam involves six accused individuals, but so far, only three have been apprehended, leaving the remaining three at large.
Police have launched a search for the absconding accused, but sources indicate that they have political connections, complicating efforts to locate them.
The scam has caused a significant stir in Mapusa, as it highlights vulnerabilities in land dealings involving Comunidade properties.
Law enforcement authorities are under pressure to make further arrests and recover the funds defrauded from the victims.
