The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of Mumbai police has registered a case of cheating against Jospeh Dias, president, Catholic Christian Secular Forum. The suspect, allegedly, in connivance with three others duped an elderly citizen of Rs2.2cr. A copy of the FIR is with dna.
According to Fr Conard Patrik Saldanha (49), the complainant, in 2010 he was introduced to an elderly spinster, Paulita D'souza, who stayed at Willington Society. Dias requested him to negotiate a redevelopment project of D'souza's house with her which had been stuck.
Saldanha said, being a priest, he was able to convince D'souza to agree to the proposal. However, he later came to know that Dias had already orchestrated a deal between a private developer and D'souza. Dias paid her Rs3.25 crore and deposited the money in a Federal Bank's joint account in the name of D'souza and one Ignatius Coutinho.
D'souza told Saldanha that Coutinho had agreed to take care of her for the rest of her life.
Saldanha told the police that D'souza informed him that she had deposited Rs1.05cr in the joint account (D'souza and Coutinho), from which a house was to be bought for her. She intended to use the remaining Rs2.2cr for building an old age home.
Saldanha informed Dias of D'souza's wish. Dias immediately proposed forming a trust to build the old age home. Dias also proposed the name of one Allen D'silva to help them form the trust.
On Sept 24, 2010, Dias, his wife Fatima Dias and D'silva met Saldanha with a trust deed nominating him as managing trustee and naming the trust as Jeevan Daata Trust. After registering it on Sept 28, 2010 the accused opened a bank account in the trust's name. According to Saldanha, D'souza issued two cheques, of Rs 1.5cr and Rs 70 lakh, in the trust's name which were credited to the trust account on Sept 28 and Sept 29, 2010.
As soon as the money was credited, Dias informed Saldanha that they would sign a contract with M/s Sterling Construction Systems Pvt Ltd, owned by one Joe D'silva to liaison for a land in Neral for building the old age home. On Sept 30, 2010, an RTGS of Rs 2.19cr was issued in favour of M/s Sterling Construction and the money was transferred on Oct 1, 2010.
Saldanha was later informed that Coutinho had brought a flat for D'souza in Vasai and she had moved to her new residence.
Saldanha told police that after the money was transferred to the company's account, there was no word from Dias and the other accused about the old age home. He has alleged that for two years all the accused kept on giving one or the other reason for the delay in the project.
On July 21, 2012 D'souza died. A disturbed Saldanha again inquired about the old age home. Dias then told him to take Rs 75 lakh and forget about the project. Saldanha refused the offer.
He has alleged that after a few days when he again inquired about the project, Dias told him that the money was gone and Saldanha could go and complain to anyone.
Saldanha realised he had been taken for a ride and approached the police and registered a complaint against Joseph Dias, Fatima Dias, Allen D'silva, Joe D'silva and M/s Sterling Construction Systems Pvt Ltd.
When contacted, Dias said: "The FIR has been lodged to make me withdraw my criminal intimidation and defamation case, and complaints to the Church against Conrad Saldanha, who has been "barred" from performing his priestly duties. We have also placed some objectionable SMSes in this case on record, which were followed by threats. I have also raised serious allegations against him, but the police are not acting on it as he is influential. Neither I, nor my wife was involved with Jeevan Daata Trust of which Conrad Saldanha is the managing trustee; nor were we involved in the late Paulita D'souza case. I have signed no documents nor received any payment.
"On the other hand, Conrad Saldanha was a signatory to the documents and cheques; he transferred the money and also received money. He wanted us to assist him in extorting money and threatened to falsely implicate us in the case if we pursued complaints of immoral and criminal behaviour made against him to the Archdiocese," Dias said.
An EOW officer, on condition of anonymity, said: "We have registered a case of cheating and criminal conspiracy after we received the complaint. We have called Dias and the other accused to register their statement and are investigating the matter."
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