Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Valpoi Police have registered a criminal case against two residents of Morlem after the JMFC Court directed an investigation into allegations of fraudulent claims over ancestral properties using allegedly fabricated official documents.
The accused, Allauddin Umar Shah and Jamila Bi Shah of Kesarkarwada, Morlem, have been booked on charges relating to forgery, cheating and the alleged use of false documents as genuine.
The proceedings originated from a complaint by Amjad Shamsher Khan, 43, who accused the duo of using fabricated records to establish ownership claims over several land parcels in Morlem. After the police initially refused to register his complaint, Khan moved the Judicial Magistrate First Class Court under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
According to the complainant’s advocate, Anees Khan, the alleged fraud involved fabricated birth records of Allauddin Umar Shah and birth and death certificates relating to late Adamo Ali Xa, also known as Adam Ali Xa.
The disputed papers were allegedly submitted during inventory proceedings before the Civil Judge, Junior Division, at Valpoi to support claims over properties covered by Survey Nos. 10/1, 10/2, 10/3 and 11/3 in Morlem village.
The police had argued before the Magistrate that since the documents were produced in judicial proceedings, registration of an FIR required a formal complaint from the court concerned.
The Magistrate rejected this objection, observing that the alleged creation and alteration of records had taken place independently, before they were brought into the civil proceedings. The complaint also refers to alleged tampering with a 1949 death register maintained by the Phaltan Municipal Council in Maharashtra and the preparation of birth records in Goa.
The court held that the allegations could not be treated merely as a dispute over inheritance, as they raised questions about possible criminal interference with government records. It also pointed out that establishing the authenticity of the documents would require verification across state boundaries and forensic examination.
Holding that the allegations warranted police investigation, the JMFC directed Valpoi Police to register an FIR. The case will now be investigated by the police.
