PANAJI
Was there an attempt to implicate a judge in a criminal case? The Goa police have found themselves in a tricky situation after an advocate, accused of stealing evidence from the Court premises this year, alleged that a judge -- once his colleague -- influenced him to commit the theft.
The police initiated an internal inquiry to investigate this serious allegation but reportedly, no evidence has been found so far. The advocate is believed to have submitted a WhatsApp chat as proof of his interaction with his professional rival.
“While facing charges of theft, the advocate alleged that his former colleague, now a judge, coerced him into committing the theft. However, we did not find any substantial evidence into his allegation,” a senior police officer told The Goan when asked about the fate of the inquiry into the matter.
The criminal lawyer, Mujahidin Shaikh, accused of decamping with muddemal from the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) building in Altinho on the night of January 31, is likely to face a charge sheet this week in connection with the case.
The theft exposed significant loopholes in the security system surrounding the highly protected campus. The allegations made by the lawyer, during the investigation, further complicated matters for the department. The department has remained tight-lipped on this part of the case.
The accused lawyer, as per the investigation, conducted surveillance of the JMFC building and security arrangements four days prior to the theft. Around 48 hours after the daring crime, he was arrested by the Crime Branch and Panaji police teams who tracked him through CCTV footage from the Smart City project cameras installed throughout the city.
He was arrested from his residence in Valpoi, and the stolen evidence -- which were sealed cash envelopes seized from various offenses -- was recovered during a search of his office, except for one envelope.
However, just 11 days after his release, he was once again arrested for allegedly threatening a JMFC Judge with a knife and demanding Rs 40 lakh in extortion. The incident took place on March 6 when the complainant was returning to his residence in Margao after completing the day's proceedings in a court in Valpoi. This case has already been charge-sheeted before a Trial Court in north Goa.
