PANAJI: Police on Thursday registered a complaint of fraud and cheating against a Panaji based builder and employees of the directorate of settlement and land records and the PWD, for fraudulently selling land that had been acquired for the police in 1968.

The land, prime property worth crores of rupees at Dona Paula, had been acquired to construct an office building and quarters for the police, but “private parties encroached or trespassed into the land in connivance with certain officials of the government”, says the complaint.

Crime branch sleuths on Thursday registered an FIR against builder Joao Mathias, one Clotilda Fernandes and certain employees of the directorate of settlement and land records and PWD, under Section 420 (cheating), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs 50 or upwards), 447 (criminal trespass), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 120 (b) of IPC and Section 13 (1) (d) and 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The police acted after inquiring into a complaint filed by Nelson Cabral, who alleged that Fernandes, Mathias and others had occupied government land at Dona Paula and that Mathias had undertaken construction activities on the land.

On March 28, 1969, the sub-divisional officer, Panaji, had awarded 5,40,784.95 sq m of land at Dona Paula to the police department vide order no LQN/SR-21.

Police investigations show that, “the PWD prepared a survey plan in the year, 1987 without considering the survey plan prepared under section four of the land acquisition act as base. Therefore, it is clear that this document was also prepared to help the accused for taking possession of the land.”

The report further states, “Joe Mathias, one of the partners (Empire Builder Pvt Ltd) directly or indirectly connived with Clotilda Fernandes (who had a house in the land acquired by the government and was compensated) and others and prepared documents to get occupancy of the land acquired by the government for an office building and police quarters as there was an agreement of assignment executed on May 18, 1998 between Empire builders.”

A complaint of fraud and cheating was registered against a Panaji based builder and employees of the directorate of settlement and land records and the PWD, for fraudulently selling land that had been acquired for the police in 1968.

Police investigations state that the mutation file in respect of the matter is missing from the mamlatdar’s office and the file for construction of office buildings and police quarters is missing from the concerned offices.

Incidentally, investigations have revealed that while Mathias took possession of about 89,045.43 sq m of land earmarked for the Goa police, some portion of the land was sold to a private hotel owner and private roads were constructed by private parties without obtaining a “no objection” from the government or the police department.

“There is a possibility that the private parties might have encroached on government land and executed sale deeds in favour of other parties by creating forged documents which has to be probed into,” police investigations reveal.

Besides this, about 75,000 sq m of land were allotted to the National Institute of Oceanography for staff quarters and about two lakh sq m were allotted to the IT Park by the government, the report reveals.