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SHIELDING PARULEKAR?
* Adv Aires had alleged that the Crime Branch was intentionally dragging its feet to shield Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar
* The Court was requested to summon the SP (Crime) and seek his explanation about the delay in investigating the case
* On October 7, 2014, the same Court had directed the Crime Branch to complete the investigation within a month
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Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Tuesday directed the SP (Crime Branch) to file a detailed affidavit within eight days enlisting the steps taken since the previous hearing held on May 31, to complete the investigation in the Serula Communidade land grab case.
Judge BP Deshpande adjourned the hearing to June 23, in the case filed by Adv Aires Rodrigues against Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar.
Previously, the Court had rejected Crime Branch’s plea for further time to probe the case and on March 17 had directed the Crime Branch to conclude the investigation forthwith.
Adv Aires had alleged that the Crime Branch was intentionally dragging its feet in the investigation to shield Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar.
During a recent hearing on May 31, Adv Rodrigues requested the Court to summon the SP (Crime) and seek his explanation about the delay in investigating the case.
It was highlighted that on October 7, 2014, the same Court had directed the Crime Branch to complete the investigation within a month.
In its response, Crime Branch had submitted a status report of the case along with the register of Serula Communidade.
Meanwhile, highly placed sources informed that the register has been forwarded to handwriting experts at Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyderabad with fresh signature specimens.
CFSL is expected to submit its report shortly after comparing the fresh specimen with those available in the minutes recorded in the Serula Communicade register between 2010 and 2012.
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 fraudulently and intentionally given away to Saligao MLA and Tourism Minister Parulekar without any auction and without following the procedure contemplated under the Code of Communidade.
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.
