Goa IG prison, ex-minister booked by ACB over land scam

The Anti-Corruption Bureau today registered a case against former Goa tourism minister and Congress leader Nilkant Halarnkar and the inspector general of prison Elvis Gomes for their alleged role in a land scam.
Halarnkar, when he was the chairman of Goa Housing Board, and Gomes who was then its managing director, allegedly acquired a land, changed its 'zoning' (purpose of usage) to residential, and gave it back to the owner.
"The offence took place between 2007-2011 and involves 30,000 square metres of land in Margao town," Superintendent of Police (ACB) Vimal Gupta told reporters.
The Housing Board acquired the land for building residential units and got its zoning changed from 'orchard' to 'settlement', he said.

But afterwards, the Board returned it to the original owner Vincent Gracias, following his application that he was the cultivator of the land and therefore it should be returned to him.
According to ACB, Gracias' application was not supported by any documents. The whole exercise was a conspiracy to get zoning changed into residential (which would increase the land's market value), and then hand over the land back to the owner, the ACB said.
The case was registered under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) of the IPC and under the Prevention of Corruption Act. No arrest has been made.

Halarnkar, who was then with NCP, recently joined Congress. He was appointed vice president of state Congress.