‘Cop helped land mafia get keys to Rs 50-crore bungalow in Kalina’

The property that was allegedly grabbed by land mafia, at Kalina. Pic/Anurag Ahire

In the fifth part of the ‘The old and the vulnerable' series, mid-day reports about a murder accused's allegations that a local police officer allegedly helped the land mafia grab his Rs 50-crore bungalow in Kalina. The owner, Roque D'Souza, was jailed in 2017 for allegedly killing his wife.

In 2018, the then Vakola police inspector Kailas Avhad allegedly forced Roque's sister-in-law Jacinta Mascerenhas, 59, to hand over his bungalow's to his brother Joseph D'Souza, in front of one Prem Chandran, another land grab accused, and Abid Ali Mushtaque Tanaji, an accused in other land grab cases.

Abid Ali Tanaji who has allegedly grabbed Roque D'Souza's bungalow

While Tanaji still has the custody of the bungalow, Joseph is absconding, said Roque's counsel, Advocate Prashant Pandey. Avhad, now the assistant commissioner of police, has denied the allegations.

Keys given in June 2018

"Officer Avhad misused his power and forced Jacinta to hand over the property to Joseph, who lived in Mangalore then. Avhad had called Jacinta to the police station, made her sign on a piece of paper and give the keys to Joseph on June 29, 2018. How can the police force my client's relatives to give house keys to someone who is in jail?" asked the lawyer.

A clip of one of mid-day's report from 2018 with photos of Roque and Violet D'Souza

Pandey said Tanaji was in jail after they had filed a land-grabbing complaint in 2018, while Prem Chandran got anticipatory bail. "Later, Tanaji got bail with the condition that he won't tamper with evidence. However, he entered my client's bungalow and forged the document and transferred the electricity bill on his own name. The bungalow is still in the Tanaji's custody since January 11, 2019," he added.

Speaking with mid-day, Jacita, who lives at Vakola, said, "Officer Avhad called me to the police station, and when I reached there, he said Joseph was Roque's brother and that the bungalow's keys belong to him. I told him that Roque was the rightful owner and he will need the keys when he gets out of jail. But he forced me to hand over the key to Joseph. Both Tanaji and Premchand were also there."

Avhad said, "The allegations against me are false. I didn't support Tanaji to grab the bungalow. We investigated the matter and also registered a case and arrested him. I didn't call Jacinta to the police station. I had also given an explanation about it at the police station."

‘Roque wants his home back'

Pandey said, "My client is in jail, but he is regularly asking me about his property. He wants to know where he will go when he comes out. He wants his property back."

Prashant Pandey, victim Roque's advocate

Roque and his wife Violet D'Souza lived at bungalow number 167A near KES School in Kalina. The property spread over 6,000 sqft belonged to Roque's father Louis D'Souza since 1950-1960s. Louis had four children - two daughters who have died and two sons Joseph and Roque. Roque allegedly killed his wife in the bungalow, after which he was sent to Arthur Road Jail in 2017.

A friend of his has claimed that the land mafia had murdered Violet, not Roque. "Two weeks before Violet was murdered, Roque was stressed and looking for a Job and received a call from an unknown person who asked him to meet him at the security cabin of Golden Square building.

After the meeting, he messaged saying the person threatened him to vacate the bungalow or he would go to jail for life. I don't think Roque killed his wife. It was the land mafia, to grab his property," the friend said.