Team Goemkarponn
MAPUSA: In a significant breakthrough, the Mapusa Police on Wednesday arrested a 51-year-old man in connection with a high-profile land fraud case involving forged documents and impersonation.
The accused, Royson Rodrigues, a resident of Marna-Siolim, was taken into custody around 5:00 PM for his alleged role in the illegal transfer of ownership of a prime property in Anjuna, Bardez.
The case, registered under Crime No. 147/2022, is based on a complaint filed by Mr. Vincent D’Souza of Delhi, who accused Rodrigues and three others—Paulina Juliana Diniz, Mariano Antonio Teles Gonsalves, and Branco Rodrigues—of conspiring to forge documents and impersonate legal heirs to fraudulently transfer rights over land surveyed under No. 78/2 in Anjuna village.
Police sources said the accused presented the forged documents before authorities and succeeded in changing land records, thereby depriving the legitimate heirs of their rights.
The offences fall under Sections 465, 466, 467, 468, 471, 419, and 420 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code, dealing with forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy.
According to investigating officer PI Nitin Halarnkar, Royson Rodrigues is a known repeat offender with at least six prior arrests in similar land grabbing cases registered with Mapusa and Crime Branch police stations.
“All procedures were conducted in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines during the arrest,” PI Halarnkar confirmed.
“This arrest marks a critical step in dismantling a larger network of fraudulent property dealings in North Goa.”
Further investigation is ongoing, with police not ruling out additional arrests in the days ahead.
