Today, On 6th January, The Supreme Court has set aside a cheating case against Goa MLA Jit Arolkar. A Bench of Justices A.S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed Arolkar’s appeal, reversing the Bombay High Court’s decision, which had refused to dismiss the case. The cheating allegations were earlier filed against Arolkar. With this ruling, the matter stands resolved.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court dismissed a first information report (FIR) against Goa MLA Jit Vinayak Arolkar concerning a land grabbing case.
A bench consisting of Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan upheld Arolkar’s appeal against a Bombay High Court decision that declined to quash the cheating charges against him.
Arolkar, who represents the Mandrem constituency in Goa for the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, was implicated based on a complaint from Rawloo Khalap. Khalap alleged that Arolkar sold a property co-owned by him, defrauding him of Rs.25.6 crore.
The allegations stated that the sale occurred between 2013 and 2018 without the necessary land conversion, subdivision, or development of the entire property.
Arolkar defended himself by claiming he acted as a power of attorney for two other co-owners and argued that Khalap was not an owner of the property.
The High Court dismissed Arolkar’s claims, pointing out that Khalap’s name, along with that of his ancestors, was listed in the survey records. Arolkar also contended that the matter was civil in nature, but the High Court rejected this argument and permitted a special investigation team to continue its inquiry.
Consequently, Arolkar appealed to the Supreme Court.
Jit Vinayak Arolkar is a politician from Goa and a member of the Goa Legislative Assembly. He represents the Mandrem constituency. In the 2022 elections, he won as a candidate from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), defeating the sitting MLA Dayanand Sopte of the BJP by 715 votes.
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As an MLA, Arolkar has been working on solving local issues. He has focused on improving water supply in Mandrem by extending the Chandel Water Treatment Plant and starting a new water project in Tuem. He also announced the construction of a 250-meter-long ramp for fishermen in Morjim to help the fishing community.
However, Arolkar’s career has faced some controversies. In July 2022, a complaint was filed against him, accusing him of illegal land grabbing and selling plots in Dhargal, Pernem Taluka, without the consent of all legal heirs. The complaint mentioned around 200 plots being sold.
Despite these allegations, Arolkar continues to serve as the Mandrem MLA, working on development projects and addressing the needs of his people.