the goan I network
MAPUSA
Former tourism minister Dilip Parulekar on Thursday appeared before a Mapusa court in the Serula Comunidade cheating and land grab case, even as the case was adjourned for orders to September 4.
Two other alleged accused in the case, then attorney of Comunidade of Serula, Peter Martins and then Administrator of Comunidade of Bardez, Irene Sequeira were also present.
After brief arguments between the complainant and the defence advocates, Judicial Magistrate First Class Shantashri Kudchadkar asked all three to furnish a surety and bond of Rs 10,000 each and adjourned the case to September 4 for orders.
Parulekar’s counsel informed the court that the case was politically-motivated and baseless and therefore needed to be shelved.
Countering the argument, petitioner, Adv Aires Rodrigues said it was a very serious case as it involved cheating of Rs 1 crore.
“The case has travelled from the District Court to High Court and even to Supreme Court and was now back to ground zero. How can anyone say the case is baseless,” Rodrigues argued.
Rodrigues brought to the attention of the court that one of the accused was planning to go abroad and therefore prayed that standard conditions be imposed on all the three.
The counsel for the other two alleged accused said that the complainant could not direct the court to impose conditions on the accused.
JMFC Shantashri Kudchadkar asked all the three alleged accused to furnish a surety of Rs 10,000 each and bond of like amount and fixed the matter for orders on September 4.
It may be recalled based on the petitioner’s complaint, the Mapusa JMFC on January 16, 2014 had directed Porvorim Police to register an FIR against the three for offences under Sections 119, 120, 420 read with 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.
In his complaint, Adv Rodrigues had said that 599 sq mt of prime land on the Chogm Road at Porvorim was given away to Parulekar without any auction and without following the procedure and the whole intention was to fraudulently facilitate the doling out of prime Comunidade land to the former minister.
The case against Parulekar was initially probed by the Porvorim Police and later transferred to the crime branch.
In 2016, crime branch sought to close the case against Parulekar but the North Goa Principal District and Sessions Judge rejected the move.
