MAPUSA
A Mapusa court on Tuesday adjourned the trial of former tourism minister Dilip Parulekar in the Serula Communidade land grab case to October 30.
The former tourism minister was not present, however, the other two alleged accused, then attorney of Comunidade of Serula, Peter Martins and then Administrator of Comunidade of Bardez, Irene Sequeira were present in the court.
After granting exemption to former tourism minister, the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Shantashri Kudchadkar adjourned the trail to October 30.
The petitioner brought to the attention of the court that the case was of 2014 and Supreme Court had directed that criminal cases against politicians be fast tracked.
The High Court on June 22 had directed Parulekar and the other two accused to face trial for offences under sections 119, 120, 420 read with 120-B of the IPC.
It may be recalled based on the complaint filed by Aires Rodrigues, the Mapusa JMFC on January 16, 2014 had directed Porvorim Police to register an FIR against the three for offences under various sections of the IPC.
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 but the North Goa Principal District & Sessions Judge rejected the move.
