MARGAO
The Margao Civil and Criminal Court building at Old Market will be the cynosure of all eyes on Saturday, but for a different reason.
Two important cases will be called out in different court rooms on Saturday morning – the sensational cricket Ticketgate allegedly involving former Goa Cricket Association chief Dayanand Narvekar and others in the court of 1st Additional Civil Judge, Senior Division and JMFC, Margao.
In the F Court, track doubling protesters and activists have been summoned to appear before the court in a case file by the Union of India in connection with the chargesheet filed by the Railway police under the Railway Act in connection with the November 1-2, 2020, Chandor midnight agitation against the three linear projects.
TICKETGATE
The two-decade old Ticketgate case has come under the scanner of 1st Additional Judge, Carlo Da Silva after he issued a warning to the State that he would dismiss the case at the next date of hearing if there is no government prosecutor to prosecute the matter.
At the last date of hearing, the Special Public Prosecutor, Adv Vinay Borkar was conspicuous by his absence since he has already intimated the Law Department about his decision to withdraw from the prosecution.
Sources in the know say Adv Borkar has again intimated the Law Department over the remarks made by the Judge at the last date of hearing if the State is not represented by a prosecutor.
While sources say that Adv Borkar has withdrawn himself from the prosecution since the day he had intimated the Law Department of his decision, all eyes are on the Law Department how the State will go about in the prosecution on Saturday, whether the government has appointed a special Public Prosecutor in place of Adv Borkar or has asked the Assistant Public Prosecutor to take up the brief in the matter.
At the last date of hearing, Judge Carlo had remarked that it has been observed that the State does not take it seriously to prosecute the matter. “This is the last and final opportunity and on the next date, the matter will be dismissed due to non-prosecution,” the Judge had observed.
Trial in the 2001 Ticketgate case has been dragging on for long for a host of reasons, including non-appearance of witnesses. The trial was recently handed over to the 1st Additional Court, Margao, which is the designated court to try corruption cases against politicians.
Summons to track doubling protesters
For the first time since thousands of protesters against the three linear projects, including the track doubling project, had descended on the Chandor railway tracks on the midnight of November 1-2, 2020 to protest against the double tracking, five activists have received summons to appear before the Margao court on Saturday.
The activists including Abhijit Prabhudesai, Freddy Travasso, Diana Tavares, Vikas Bhagat have been summoned by the court in the case filed by the Union of India following a chargesheet filed by the Railways under the Railway Act.
While the activists will come to know of the exact charges only after they are served the chargesheets in the court, the Railways has slapped offences under Section 146, 147 and 174(a) of the Railway Act, 1989. The charges pertain to alleged trespass and obstruction and for squatting and picketing during the historic agitation at Chandor when thousands of protesters had descended from all corners of the State to protest and oppose the track doubling project.
Incidentally, The Goan understands that the court summons to the activists is just the beginning of the legal battle since the Maina-Curtorim police station has also filed a case against the protesters in the court of law. The Konkan Railway police station has also filed a chargesheet against the persons for the incident at Davorlim following a complaint lodged by the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd in 2020.
