MAPUSA
Reggie Fernandes of Sodiem, Siolim who in the past has been implicated and arrested in various fraud cases in both Goa and Mumbai, was recently ordered by a Mapusa court to face formal charges for allegedly forging court judgments to manipulate land records.
The Judicial Magistrate First Class in Mapusa, Jude Sequeira, passed the order as recently as on August 13, mandating that charges be framed against Fernandes and another individual involved in the forgery scheme.
The two reportedly fabricated judgment copies under the names of the Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Mapusa.
These forged documents were subsequently submitted to the Joint Mamlatdar, Bardez, with the intent of removing existing occupants’ names from survey records in Sodiem Siolim and replacing them with their own.
This alleged forgery dates back to pre-2008.
Fernandes’ latest legal woes add to a history of criminal cases stretching across Goa and Mumbai.
Last year, Mapusa Police booked Fernandes and his wife in a separate case, alleging that the two had duped a native of Uttarakhand of Rs 1 crore under the pretence of selling high-value property in Goa.
In another incident, dating back four years, Fernandes and his wife were arrested by Santa Cruz Police in Mumbai for defrauding a nationalized bank of Rs 68 lakh through forged documents to secure loans.
Several cases against Fernandes are ongoing, while others have resulted in convictions currently under appeal in various courts.
