PANAJI: Goa police has said that conmen luring many Goans with the promise of high returns on investments, collecting huge sums of money and then disappearing from Goa is a rising crime trend in the state. In the latest case, Noor Ahmed, a native of Bihar, who has allegedly cheated around 200 people, mainly in Vasco, using the same modus operandi was caught at the India-Nepal border in a joint operation by the police. The EOC has registered a first information report (FIR) against Ahmed for cheating. Police said Ahmed had cheated his victims to the tune of over Rs three crore on the pretext of providing flats and then vanished. Nearly 60 complaints of cheating had been filed against Ahmed before his arrest. “When we inquired, however, we found that he had cheated over 200 persons,” crime branch superintendent of police (SP) Nidhin Valsan said. As part of the scheme, Ahmed would take money to the tune of Rs five lakh on the pretext of selling flats to his victims. They were told that they will be given the flat on long lease and they would be owners of the flats over a period of time. The victims were also promised monthly returns. Initially, many victims were also paid monthly returns. The fraud came to light when flat owners who were also duped, started confronting the victims and asking them to pay the rent or vacate the premises. When they tried to contact Ahmed, he was unavailable over the phone and his office was also closed. Ahmed, who had been staying in Goa for almost nine years, started this scheme in 2018. So far, the economic offences cell (EOC) of Goa police has registered eight such cheating cases. “We have come across cases where people have invested their entire retirement benefits into such schemes,” Valsan said. Cautioning people against falling for such false promises, Valsan said that if anyone is approached with a scheme promising huge monthly or quarterly returns, they should study it carefully and inform the police in case they suspect something amiss.
Panaji: Goa police has said that conmen luring many Goans with the promise of high returns on investments, collecting huge sums of money and then disappearing from Goa is a rising crime trend in the state. In the latest case, Noor Ahmed, a native of Bihar, who has allegedly cheated around 200 people, mainly in Vasco, using the same modus operandi was caught at the India-Nepal border in a joint operation by the police. The EOC has registered a first information report (FIR) against Ahmed for cheating.Police said Ahmed had cheated his victims to the tune of over Rs three crore on the pretext of providing flats and then vanished. Nearly 60 complaints of cheating had been filed against Ahmed before his arrest.“When we inquired, however, we found that he had cheated over 200 persons,” crime branch superintendent of police (SP) Nidhin Valsan said.As part of the scheme, Ahmed would take money to the tune of Rs five lakh on the pretext of selling flats to his victims. They were told that they will be given the flat on long lease and they would be owners of the flats over a period of time. The victims were also promised monthly returns. Initially, many victims were also paid monthly returns. The fraud came to light when flat owners who were also duped, started confronting the victims and asking them to pay the rent or vacate the premises. When they tried to contact Ahmed, he was unavailable over the phone and his office was also closed. Ahmed, who had been staying in Goa for almost nine years, started this scheme in 2018. So far, the economic offences cell (EOC) of Goa police has registered eight such cheating cases. “We have come across cases where people have invested their entire retirement benefits into such schemes,” Valsan said.Cautioning people against falling for such false promises, Valsan said that if anyone is approached with a scheme promising huge monthly or quarterly returns, they should study it carefully and inform the police in case they suspect something amiss.
CANACONA: Three members of a family died on the spot, and several others injured, following a collision between two cars on the Manohar Parrikar National highway bypass at Rajbag-Tarir, Canacona, Wednesday evening. Police revealed the names of those dead as Ulhas Ram Nagekar, 64, his wife, Veena, 60, and son Harish, 35, all residents of Upasnagar, Vasco. The Nagekars, altogether eight members of the family, were natives of Majali, Karwar, and were travelling in one car. Several others from both vehicles sustained injuries – two among them are learnt to be critical – and are being treated in a hospital, Canacona PI Chandrakant Gawas said. Eyewitnesses told reporters that the driver of one of the cars lost control of the vehicle after it hit the divider, and consequently collided with the oncoming four-wheeler on the other lane. A driver of one of the cars also sustained injuries. A two-wheeler rider who was in front of one of the cars also sustained injuries owing to the impact of the collision, sources said. Incidentally, this is the 7th accident at this spot in recent times, eyewitnesses said. Locals voiced their concern over the frequent accidents that have taken place along this stretch of the highway of late. They pointed out that this was the seventh among the spate of accidents that have occurred at this spot recently. They have demanded that the authorities concerned devise a mechanism to curb accidents at the spot.
MARGAO: Three persons, including a woman, died on the spot following a collision between two cars on Manohar Parrikar National highway bypass at Rajbhag-Tarir, Canacona, Wednesday evening. Several others sustained injuries – two among them are learnt to be critical – and are being treated in a hospital. Eyewitnesses told reporters that the driver of one of the cars involved that was proceeding towards Karwar, lost control after hitting the divider and the four-wheeler collided with an oncoming car on the other lane. A driver of one of the cars also sustained injuries. Incidentally, this is the 7th accident at this spot in recent times, eye witnesses said.
PANAJI: Given the decade-long ban on sand extraction and the insatiable demand for it, Goa’s construction industry finds itself facing an acute shortage of sand. From clandestine deliveries at night to exorbitant prices, the restriction on sand mining has pinched the sector. At the same time, it has compelled builders to look at cheaper and more accessible alternatives such as readymade cement bricks, gypsum, manufactured sand and even cement-less concrete. While hinting at the presence of a sand mafia, most builders say that the root of Goa’s sand shortage is the government’s failure to bring in appropriate policies for sand extraction. “Whenever an activity is not legal, then whatever is happening is illegal and for this you need some protection, you need a network. My gut feeling is that there is something underhand happening and this has definitely affected the industry,” said an industry representative, who did not wish to come on record. Builders also rued that constant intervention by activists and NGOs has also had a detrimental effect. With the state government yet to formulate policies for controlled sand mining in Goa’s rivers, it has given rise to unauthorised and rampant sand extraction. In what appears to be rivalry between two illegal sand contractors, shots were fired at three labourers who were extracting sand using a canoe at Maad, Bansai, in Curchorem. One labourer, who hails from Jharkhand, was shot dead while a second was injured. In a bid to evade police and other authorities, sand extraction begins at night and continues till the early hours of the morning. The business is lucrative with suppliers charging anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 6,700 per cubic meter. Speaking to TOI, a sand extractor from Usgao, Ponda said enforcement agencies also need to be paid off to look the other way when sand is being transported. “We get sand somehow. Most of it is illegal and delivered at night. There are no bills, no quality checks and the prices are through the roof,” said a builder. The price of sand varies depending on its coarseness and source. Concrete sand, pit sand and fine river sand is costlier and naturally also hard to source. Fill sand and coarse river sand are also available. A reputed builder from Margao said that in order to avoid a hassle, his construction firm has shifted to manufactured sand (M Sand) which is made by grinding gravel, granite and other stones. M Sand is also free from silt and clay, which is often found in river sand. “The construction industry needs to change the way it builds. When the government is cutting down on mining and excavation, the courts keep stepping in and NGOs keep filing petitions, the availability of raw material, not just sand, is bound to shrink. So essentially builders are now going for ACC blocks, gypsum for plastering and even cementless concrete,” said a Vasco-based civil engineer and consultant.
Panaji: Given the decade-long ban on sand extraction and the insatiable demand for it, Goa’s construction industry finds itself facing an acute shortage of sand. From clandestine deliveries at night to exorbitant prices, the restriction on sand mining has pinched the sector. At the same time, it has compelled builders to look at cheaper and more accessible alternatives such as readymade cement bricks, gypsum, manufactured sand and even cement-less concrete.While hinting at the presence of a sand mafia, most builders say that the root of Goa’s sand shortage is the government’s failure to bring in appropriate policies for sand extraction.“Whenever an activity is not legal, then whatever is happening is illegal and for this you need some protection, you need a network. My gut feeling is that there is something underhand happening and this has definitely affected the industry,” said an industry representative, who did not wish to come on record.Builders also rued that constant intervention by activists and NGOs has also had a detrimental effect. With the state government yet to formulate policies for controlled sand mining in Goa’s rivers, it has given rise to unauthorised and rampant sand extraction.In what appears to be rivalry between two illegal sand contractors, shots were fired at three labourers who were extracting sand using a canoe at Maad, Bansai, in Curchorem. One labourer, who hails from Jharkhand, was shot dead while a second was injured.In a bid to evade police and other authorities, sand extraction begins at night and continues till the early hours of the morning. The business is lucrative with suppliers charging anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 6,700 per cubic meter.Speaking to TOI, a sand extractor from Usgao, Ponda said enforcement agencies also need to be paid off to look the other way when sand is being transported. “We get sand somehow. Most of it is illegal and delivered at night. There are no bills, no quality checks and the prices are through the roof,” said a builder.The price of sand varies depending on its coarseness and source. Concrete sand, pit sand and fine river sand is costlier and naturally also hard to source. Fill sand and coarse river sand are also available.A reputed builder from Margao said that in order to avoid a hassle, his construction firm has shifted to manufactured sand (M Sand) which is made by grinding gravel, granite and other stones. M Sand is also free from silt and clay, which is often found in river sand.“The construction industry needs to change the way it builds. When the government is cutting down on mining and excavation, the courts keep stepping in and NGOs keep filing petitions, the availability of raw material, not just sand, is bound to shrink. So essentially builders are now going for ACC blocks, gypsum for plastering and even cementless concrete,” said a Vasco-based civil engineer and consultant.
