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GOING TO PRESS A
LITTLE TOO EARLY
* According to SP (ACB), Ghadi was the fifth of the six councillors to be allegedly approached by CO Arlekar
* Ghadi was assured half the amount in cheque and the other half after the sixth councillor also signed
* The ACB expected to nab the accused red-handed while he reached out to Ghadi with the money or cheque
* But before the ACB could lay a trap to nab the accused, Ghadi addresses a press conference
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Ghadi, who addressed the media along with other councillors and municipality chairperson Dharmesh Saglani in Panaji on Monday, had said, “On June 15, 2016, Arlekar called me on my mobile phone and offered me Rs five lakhs to sign the \'No Confidence Motion\' against the Chairperson Dharmesh Saglani. Initially, I was asked to quote my demand. But later in the day, Arlekar called me at around 3.45 pm and informed me that an amount of Rs five lakhs has been kept ready. However, I did not meet him.”
While placing the details of his complaint in the public domain, Ghadi informed that he has also submitted video and audio evidence proving his allegations.
However, Ghadi’s move caught the investigating officers at ACB off-guard foiling their plan to catch the accused red-handed while in an actual monetary transaction with the complainant.
Speaking about the case, Superintendent of Police (ACB) Vimal Anand Gupta informed, “Ghadi was the fifth of the six councillors to be allegedly approached by the CO Arlekar.”
It was stated that four councillors were persuaded before Ghadi. Ghadi was assured that half of the amount would be given to him in cheque after he signed the motion and the other half would be given in cash after the sixth councillor also signed.
“This sixth councillor was proving difficult to persuade and he demanded a higher figure for signing the motion. But we were hoping that these hassles would be resolved with the sixth councillor, a deal would be struck and the accused would actually deliver the cheque or the cash to the complainant. This was when we planned to lay a trap and nab him red-handed offering money,” SP Gupta stated.
Presently, an FIR has been registered under Section 12 (abetment of offences) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 as the demand has been established sufficiently. However, the other half of the probe appears to have been jeopardised with the complainant knocking the doors of the press a little too early.
ACB is likely to forward the digital evidence consisting of videos and recorded telephonic conversations submitted by the complainant for analysis and verification to a forensic science laboratory in Delhi or Chandhigarh.
SP Gupta also stated that the ACB will write to the government requesting that CO Arlekar be shifted from his present post pending the conclusion of the probe.
