ANTOINE Chetty?s questioning seems to be an inexhaustible source of information. And this could be just the tip of the iceberg. What is known now as the Deelchand affair will see other developments this week, according to the notary?s former driver and hired man. He is expected to give more details on the alleged fraudulent land and property transactions of notary Deelchand and his henchmen.

When the ADSU arrested Antoine Chetty after seizing 825g of heroin at his home, the latter explained that the drug actually belonged to his boss, notary Deelchand. This revelation was the starting point of a long series of accusations. If the investigation confirms the allegations, it could turn out to be one of the biggest scandals ever. His alleged illegal property transactions seem to be the pivot of all the alleged crimes: police bribery, arson, murder attempts to mention just a few.

Antoine Chetty has explained that the Deelchand gang, of which he has been a full member for ten years, chose old people at death?s door, owners of plots of land. As soon as they died, their signature was forged to deceive the heirs and make them believe that the dead person had wanted to sell his/her piece of land. As they could not do anything to prove it was not the case, Deelchand would then parcel out the plot of land as he wished.

One of the cases, which seems to have been cleared up following Chetty?s allegations, concerns the Gujadhur family. After his father?s death, Laldeo Gujadhur felt there was something suspicious about the plot of land Deelchand said he had purchased from the latter?s father. He thus decided to contest the sale deed supposedly signed by his father. He alleges that shortly after wards, he was knifed in Quatre-Bornes by Cyril César and Mario Vythilingum but was finally saved by passers-by who heard his screams. Mario Vythilingum is in prison and Cyril César is now detained for questioning. The latter, who is said to be one of the notary?s hired men, has a police record, which is far from clean.

The victim?s brother, Dhiraj, alleges that the gang had also planned to attack him, as they were the only ones who could contest the sale. He finally made a statement concerning the fraudulent acquisition of their inheritance.

Key suspects

Agnis Property Ltd directors, Sandeep Appadoo, Mahendra Choonea and Dharmanandah Sambon, have been accused by Chetty of giving instructions to commit arson at Anwar Toorabally?s. According to the driver, he himself set fire to the house but a neighbour, who called the owner to say his garage was on fire, saved the latter and his family.

The instruction to commit arson followed a dispute over a piece of land Toorabally owned in Bois-Pignolet, Terre-Rouge. He contacted Agnis Ltd to sell 3 hectares of land to an individual and he was supposed to get Rs 1.5 million from the sale. However, after the land was sold, the company told him that it belonged to someone else and that the sold plot was not the one stipulated on the sale deed.

The directors of the firm may be involved in other cases. Rajeshwar Indur, a chief agent of the Labour party, was found dead at his home after he had had a drink of whisky with other persons. He was actually poisoned with cyanide. Rajeshwar Indur was the business partner of Vinay Deelchand and Sandeep Appadoo and was known to be close to Toorabally. His death occurred after he was summoned in a State land scandal in Melville.

The relatives of the directors are trying to find alibis for them. According to Sandeep Appadoo?s father, his son should not have been arrested since Antoine Chetty?s accusations have not been proved yet. For him, the driver made those false accusations because the directors have stopped giving him ?protection money? for the surveillance of their office.

The mysterious disappearance of Ismaël Dobah seems to have no direct link with Deelchand?s land transactions. According to the police, the ?prime suspect? is a victim?s relative and they had a domestic dispute just before his disappearance. However, this relative could be linked with the Deelchand gang.

Antoine Chetty?s accusations seem to be never-ending? This week, the ADSU is expected to take in the ?signature? and ?morcellement? experts used by Deelchand for questioning. Both of them are key suspects in the affair. They could shed a lot of light on it?