A Quepem resident has alleged that he was cheated of Rs 99.5 lakh in a property transaction involving two bungalows in Varca, prompting Cuncolim police to register a case against a woman from Bardez.
According to the complaint filed by Babu Kolekar, Leena Mendes allegedly claimed to own a bungalow at Calata in Varca and induced him to pay Rs 75 lakh for its purchase. The complaint states that the transaction was presented as a lawful property sale, with the sale deed to be executed in Kolekar’s name.
Kolekar further alleged that Mendes later showed him another bungalow in Varca and accepted an additional Rs 24.5 lakh. The total amount paid by the complainant therefore reached Rs 99.5 lakh, according to the police complaint reported by the Times of India.
The alleged fraud came to light after the sale deeds were not executed in Kolekar’s name despite the payment, the complaint states. He then approached the police, leading to the registration of an FIR against Mendes for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.
The case places the focus on the risks buyers face when large property payments are made before ownership and transaction documents are completed. In the complaint, Kolekar said he relied on Mendes’s assurances regarding ownership of the bungalows and their sale. The police case will now examine the claims made during the transactions, the payments allegedly received and the reasons the sale deeds were not executed.
The allegations concern two properties in Varca, a location in Goa where residential and holiday homes form part of the local property market. However, the available report does not establish the registered ownership status of either bungalow, whether the properties were offered through an intermediary, or whether any formal agreement for sale was executed between the parties.
The case also illustrates the distinction between payment for a property and completion of a legally documented transfer. In this instance, the complainant alleges that he paid the full amount for the two proposed purchases but did not receive sale deeds in his name. The police investigation is expected to establish the documentary and financial trail associated with the alleged transactions.
Cuncolim police have assigned the investigation to Police Sub-Inspector Kishor Velip. Mendes has been named as the accused in the FIR, while the allegations remain subject to investigation and due legal process. The report does not state whether she has issued a response to the complaint.
The investigation by Cuncolim police is ongoing. Its next steps will determine the facts surrounding the alleged payments, the ownership claims made during the transactions and the failure to execute the sale deeds.
