Serula case: Blow for Parulekar

Special Court rejects plea to close case, orders court inquiry into plaint

The Goan Network | DECEMBER 10, 2016, 12:00 AM IST

Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Friday rejected the plea by Crime Branch of Goa Police to close the Serula Communidade cheating and land grab case against Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar while ordering a court enquiry into the complaint.

The aim of the enquiry is to verify whether or not the evidence brought on record by the complainant makes out a cognizable offence in the matter against Parulekar. Judge B P Deshpande under Section 190 (1) (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code took cognizance of the complaint filed by

Adv Aires Rodrigues. The matter has been adjourned to January 12 for inquiry.

Previously, the Crime Branch had filed a 56-page final summary report seeking closure of the case. Adv Rodrigues had opposed the move and had filed a protest petition.

As per the decision of the Court, the complaint has now been ordered to be registered in the court records. Following this, the complainant Adv Rodrigues will be called upon to file an affidavit as evidence along with the list of witnesses.

Upon perusal of these documents, if the Court is convinced that the evidence adduced by the complainant makes out a cognizable offence, directions will be issued to the investigating officer to register an FIR and to proceed with the investigation accordingly.

Incidentally, in July, the Crime Branch had informed the Court that the investigation of the case was almost complete and it was awaiting the sanction from the government for over a year to prosecute the accused.

The Court on March 17 this year had rejected the Crime Branch’s plea for further time to probe the case while directing the agency to complete its investigation forthwith.

Allegations of land grab surfaced when Adv Rodrigues filed a petition in Judicial Magistrate First Class, Mapusa on January 16, 2014.

The petition stated that 599 square metre of Serula Communidade's prime land on the Chogm Road at Porvorim had been given away to Saligao MLA and Tourism Minister Parulekar without any auction and without following the procedure contemplated under the Code of Communidade.

It was also stated that while the plot was allotted to Parulekar at a cost of Rs three lakh, the market value of the same was around Rs one crore, thereby casting a shadow over the procedure followed while regularizing the said plot of land.

Upon directions of JMFC, Mapusa, Porvorim Police had registered an FIR for offences under Sections 119, 120, 420 read with 120-B of IPC against Parulekar, then attorney of Communidade of Serula Peter Martins and then Administrator of Communidade of Bardez Irene Sequeira. Investigation in the case was later transferred to the Crime Branch.

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