Panaji (Goa): North Goa Principal District and Sessions Judge Irshad Agha today directed that process be issued against Goa’s former Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar in the Serula Comunidade land grab and cheating case filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues.
Judge Agha has also directed that process be issued against Peter Martins, then attorney of Comunidade of Serula and Irene Sequeira, then Administrator of Comunidade of Bardez.
The three accused have been directed to appear in Court on 17th June to face trial for offences under sections 119, 120, 420 read with 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13(1)(c) and (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Court in December last year while rejecting the plea of the Crime Branch to close the case against Dilip Parulekar and while noting that it was not satisfied with the investigation conducted by the Crime Branch under Section 190 (1) (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code took cognizance of the complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues and conducted an inquiry.
Strongly opposing the move to close the case, Adv. Rodrigues had submitted to the Court that the Crime Branch in an attempt to shield Dilip Parulekar had derailed and vitiated the investigation by falsely and malafiedly portraying to the Court that Dilip Parulekar was a poor victim who was misled by the Comunidade officials to grab the land.
Adv. Rodrigues also drew the Court’s attention that the Crime Branch had repeatedly informed the Court that the investigation of the case was almost complete and that only sanction from the government was awaited to prosecute the accused.
On a petition filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues the Mapusa JMFC on 16th January 2014 had directed the Porvorim Police to register an FIR against then Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, Peter Martins, then attorney of Communidade of Serula and Irene Sequeira, then Administrator of Comunidade of Bardez for offences under sections 119, 120, 420 read with 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. The investigation of the case was later transferred to the Crime Branch.
Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint had drawn the Court’s attention that the 599 sq mt of prime land on the Chogm Road at Porvorim was given away to Dilip Parulekar without any auction and without following the procedure contemplated under the Code of Comunidade and that the whole intention was to fraudulently facilitate the doling out prime Comunidade land to Dilip Parulekar.
Adv. Rodrigues further stated that the Comunidade of Serula granted the 599 sq. mts to Dilip Parulekar for a mere Rs. 3,41,320/- though the value of the land was otherwise worth more than a crore and that Dilip Parulekar in connivance with Peter Martins and Irene Sequeira had grabbed that Comunidade land at a throw away price by illegal means.
Team TNV
