SIT probing illegal land transfers in Goa must be headed by judge: TMC

The Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) on Friday demanded that the special investigation team (SIT) constituted to probe illegal land transfers in Goa should be headed by a judge.

The state government has formed an SIT headed by a superintendent of police to investigate illegal land transfers in the state, and so far, one person has been arrested in connection with 50 to 60 such cases.

Speaking to reporters here, the TMC's Goa spokesperson Trajano D'Mello said while there is no doubt about the integrity of officers who are part of the SIT, the “perception of people towards the police is wrong”.

People who have lost their land to frauds and lodged formal complaints with the police years ago, will not come forward again to file cases if the SIT is headed by an SP, he said, demanding that the probe team be headed by a judge.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has transferred 22 officers from the existing government set up to the SIT, D'Mello claimed.

“The illegalities were happening right under the nose of the current government set up. What difference will it make if you pick up a few officers from the same set up and form an SIT,” the TMC leader said.

It is the chief minister’s duty to build confidence among people so that they come forward to lodge complaints, D'Mello said.

Referring to Sawant's statement that the investigation would be ''fast tracked'', the TMC leader said a fast-track investigation is not enough and justice in these cases should also be fast tracked.

He further demanded that the registrar be empowered to cancel the sale deeds of lands, if the SIT finds that they were executed using forged documents.

The state government should move a legislation in the upcoming Assembly session, empowering the registrar to cancel such sale deeds, D'Mello said. Meanwhile, state Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday said that his department has received 61 complaints of land grabbing since a dedicated email address was commissioned to entertain grievances.

Earlier this week, Rane had launched a dedicated email address urging people to send in their complaints of land grabbing or fraud.

“We have received 61 complaints since the launch of the email address for reporting illegalities. The number has doubled in the last two days and I am extremely happy with the response we have received,” the minister tweeted.

In another tweet, Rane said, “Governance must be a transparent process. It is up to each minister to provide people with access and a transparent system to reach out so that their grievances/complaints can be addressed efficiently.” PTI RPS ARU ARU