PANAJI (GOA): Chief Judicial Magistrate Pooja Kavlekar today directed the Panaji police to re-investigate the 2010 cheating and forgery case filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues against former Labour Commissioner, Fatima Rodrigues. Rejecting the closure report filed by the police, Judge Pooja Kavlekar has directed that the investigation report be submitted to the Court within three months.

Panaji police acting on a complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues had, on July 8, 2010, registered an FIR under sections 419, 468,469, 471 and 420 of Indian Penal Code against the then Labour Commissioner, Fatima Rodrigues.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues in his complaint had stated that Fatima Rodrigues had fabricated a letterhead to make a representation dated June 10, 2010, to the then Chief Minister, so that, she was promoted to the post of Labour Commissioner from the post of Deputy Labour Commissioner that she was occupying.

Seeking to close the case, the Panaji police in its closure report stated that though the complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues against Fatima Rodrigues who has now retired as Labour Commissioner was true, the original fabricated letterhead could not be traced in the Chief Minister’s office.

Strongly opposing the move by the police to close the case, Adv. Aires Rodrigues had argued before Judge Kavlekar that the police in violation of law had vitiated the entire investigation to shield the accused officer. Adv. Rodrigues had further urged the Court to direct the Panaji police to further investigate the case and that the Court monitor the investigation.

Meanwhile, Judge Pooja Kavlekar today after hearing further arguments by Adv. Aires Rodrigues adjourned to July 29 her order on the closure report filed by Panaji police seeking to close the cheating case against Goa’s former Urban Development Secretary RP Pal and his wife Putul Pal.

Acting on a complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues the Panaji police on September 1 2008 had registered a FIR under sections 406, 468, 420, 120-B read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code against then Urban Development Secretary RP Pal and his wife Putul Pal for having criminally conspired with officials enabling Mrs. Pal to draw Rs 147 a day from September 2006 as a daily wages sweeper at the Corporation of City of Panaji. The amount was being drawn by Mrs. Pal in the name of one Rakeshwari Hannur who never worked at the CCP. Within months of a FIR being registered against him, RP Pal was elevated as an IAS officer and transferred to Pondicherry.
Team TNV