ASSAGAO GAUNKAR FILES PETITION IN HIGH COURT AGAINST ASHWIN KHALAP

PANJIM: A Gaunkar of Assagao Comunidade has filed a petition before the Bombay High Court at Goa against Mr. Ashwin Khalap, son of Goa Law Commission Chairman Mr. Ramakant Khalap in connection with the alleged Assagao Comunidade land illegally grabbed by Khalap.

In his petition the Gaunkar Mr. Nelson Fernandes has made the State of Goa, Comunidade of Assagao and the Deputy Collector along with the Mamlatdar of Bardez also parties to the petition. The tenant of the Comunidade land who allegedly illegally transferred the land to Mr. Ashwin Khalap has also been made a party to the petition which is expected to be heard by the High Court next week.

In his petition the Gaunkar has alleged that Comunidade land was transferred in the name of Mr. Ashwin Khalap by a tenant Mr. Mahadev Sitaram Simepuruskar. illegally and fraudulently on which Mr. Khalap had started construction of seven luxurious villas.

The petitioner has also stated that agricultural tenanted Comunidade land cannot be transferred as there is a prohibition imposed by the Goa Land Use Regulation Act and the Goa Agricultural Tenancy act. The petitioner has further submitted that agricultural land being used for non - agricultural use is also not allowed and prohibited by law.

The Gaunkar in his petition has alleged that the authorities have connived to illegally transfer 15,000 sq metres of prime Comunidade land to Mr. Ashwin Khalap. Mr. Pradip Naik the Sarpanch of Assagao is allegedly working as a clerk at the Mapusa Urban Bank of Goa of which Mr. Ramakant Khalap is the Chairman.

The Gaunkar has in his petition sought that the land illegally transferred to Mr. Ashwin Khalap be reverted back to the Comunidade of Assagao. He has also sought that pending disposal of his petition that the construction work of luxury villas being built by Mr. Ashwin Khalap on Assagao Comunidade land be immediately stopped.