The Mapusa Sessions Court has rejected the bail plea of former Mapusa municipal councillor and businessman Tarak Manguesh Arolkar in connection with an alleged land fraud case involving ₹40 lakh, observing serious apprehensions of evidence tampering and non-cooperation with investigators.

The Crime Branch registered FIR against Tarak Arolkar for allegedly cheating, criminal breach of trust and forgery and using forged documents on the basis of a complaint filed by Pankaj Bajaj, a resident of New Friends Colony, South Delhi.
Bajaj alleged that in November 2022, Arolkar falsely represented himself as the owner and authorized person under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a 2,250-square-metre property surveyed under No. 37/4 at Assagao, Bardez. Believing Arolkar's assurances of clear title and possession of an original sale deed, Bajaj transferred ₹40,00,000 via RTGS into the account of Arolkar’s firm, M/s Saiccha Developers.

However, Arolkar allegedly failed to execute the sale deed or return the funds. Police investigations subsequently revealed that Arolkar had no ownership rights or authorization over the property. The property actually stood in the name of one late Jose Marian D’Souza, whose grandson confirmed to police that the land was never sold or transferred to Arolkar.

Pleading for bail, Arolkar's Counsel contended that the dispute was essentially of a civil nature that had been given criminal colour. The defense acknowledged the receipt of ₹40 lakh in 2022 from Bajaj due to prior business transactions, but denied that it pertained to the Assagao land. The defence side further argued that the investigating agency had failed to recover any forged sale deed or MoU from Arolkar’s office or residences, and argued that without the physical documents, charges could not be sustained to deny bail. He added that Arolkar’s bank account with over ₹40 lakh had already been frozen, securing the amount, and that police custody periods had elapsed.

Opposing the plea, the prosecution highlighted grave irregularities and potential links to wider land-grabbing rackets. The prosecution pointed out that the Assagao property is entangled in SIT Land Grabbing Case. It was further brought to light that Arolkar had previously filed a civil suit against Siddique alias Suleman Khan, a prime accused across multiple land-grabbing investigations in Goa. An original receipt dated November 3, 2022, signed by Arolkar in the presence of witnesses, explicitly acknowledging ₹40 lakh towards the sale of survey No. 37/4 in Assagao and indemnifying the buyer.

The prosecution further submitted that the Chat exports retrieved from Arolkar's phone showing him sharing Form I & XIV, survey plans, and Portuguese-era documents concerning the Assagao land directly with Bajaj and an audio recording submitted by the complainant capturing a 60-minute meeting arranged by Arolkar's brother, Vikas Arolkar. During this meeting, a call was placed to Arolkar while he was lodged in judicial custody at Central Jail, Colvale. Arolkar was reportedly heard promising to hand over the original property files and sale deed "within 30 minutes of his release from jail".

Dismissing Tarak Arolkar's bail plea, the court noted that Arolkar's defense of having no link to the Assagao land fell flat against the clear terms of the signed receipt and WhatsApp exchanges. The court remarked that if Arolkar had clean hands, there would have been no rationale to retain ₹40 lakh without explanation or steps toward repayment. Addressing his access to a phone inside judicial custody and attempts to negotiate document handovers, the court observed that economic offences require strict judicial scrutiny. Emphasizing Arolkar's profile as an influential businessman and outgoing municipal councillor, the court ruled that releasing him at this stage posed a substantial risk of tampering with witnesses and destroying crucial forged documents that remain unrecovered.