CBI should probe Goa's land mafia, politician nexus: NCP

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Rajan Ghate, a secretary of the state unit of the NCP has demanded a thorough probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the nexus, which is already being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"There are so many revenue officials and local politicians who have conspired to sell prime coastal land to more than 400 foreigners.

"These deals are already being probed by the ED. The CBI must also step in because several foreigners with dubious records are involved," Ghate said.

The state government was forced to ask the ED to probe nearly 480 cases where land in Goa was purchased by foreigners using fraudulent means in 2008, after official enquiries revealed that several revenue and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) norms were flouted in the real estate transactions.

The government also froze sale of land to foreigners in Goa pending the completion of the ED probe, especially after a police probe revealed that a coastal property in Morjim, 30 km from here, purchased by a company partly owned by Russian nationals had Russian mafia links.

Land deals worth more than Rs.7 crore cumulatively are being probed by the ED currently.

"There are international links involved here and the CBI is a fit agency to probe this scandal, which is being sidetracked by the illegal mining scam in Goa," said Ghate, whose NCP is a coalition partner in the Congress led government here.

The CBI is already probing Goa's infamous police-politician-drug mafia nexus in the state in which seven policemen and two Israeli drug dealers have already been arrested.