The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the First Information Report (FIR) filed against Goa MLA Jit Vinayak Arolkar in a land-grabbing case.
A Bench of Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan ruled in favor of Arolkar, allowing his appeal against the Bombay High Court’s decision to uphold the cheating charges. The High Court had earlier refused to quash the case, which led to Arolkar’s move to the Supreme Court.
Arolkar, representing the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party in Mandrem, Goa, was accused of selling a property co-owned by Rawloo Khalap between 2013 and 2018, without completing necessary legal procedures such as land conversion, subdivision, or development, and allegedly cheating Khalap out of ₹25.6 crore.
Arolkar defended his actions by claiming that he was acting as a power of attorney for two other co-owners and that Khalap was not an actual owner of the land. The High Court rejected this argument, noting Khalap’s name and that of his ancestors in the survey records.
Additionally, Arolkar argued that the issue was a civil matter, but the High Court dismissed this claim, allowing a special investigation team to continue its inquiry. This prompted Arolkar to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court, which has now ruled in his favor, quashing the FIR and the associated charges.
