MAPUSA
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo on Thursday secured a major legal relief after the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court in Mapusa acquitted him in the long-pending criminal case relating to alleged Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations at the Nazri Beach Resort in Calangute.
The case pertained to alleged violations of CRZ norms during the construction of the resort.
The JMFC court's acquittal in the criminal case, however, is separate from the environmental and regulatory proceedings that culminated in the demolition of part of the resort.
Following the court's verdict, Lobo maintained that the prosecution against him was politically motivated and reiterated that the hotel was never situated within the CRZ area.
"This is a very old case dating back to 2007-08, before I became an MLA. At that time I had become the BJP block president and had contested the Zilla Panchayat elections. The case was a result of political vendetta," Lobo told reporters outside the court.
He asserted that the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) clearly establishes that the Nazri Resort is located around 50 metres away from the CRZ line.
"My hotel is outside the CRZ, which I have maintained from that time till today. Everyone knows Nazri Resort was not on the CRZ line," he said.
Referring to the demolition of a portion of the resort last month, Lobo said he had already paid a heavy price despite maintaining that the property was outside the prohibited coastal zone.
"Because of the orders passed against us at that time, we had to demolish around 38 rooms. Now, in the same place I can build more," he remarked.
Lobo also questioned the basis of the earlier CRZ demarcation, claiming that the officially notified coastal maps were finalised only much later.
"The actual CRZ line came only in 2018. Before that, it was just an imaginary line," he said.
While Thursday's acquittal brings an end to the criminal proceedings before the JMFC Court, the Nazri Resort has already undergone partial demolition following years of litigation over alleged CRZ violations.
The legal dispute dates back more than a decade.
