Judge B.P.Deshpande of the Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act today rejected the plea by the Crime Branch to close the Serula Communidade cheating and land grab case against Goa’s Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar.
Stating that the Court was not satisfied with the investigation conducted by the Crime Branch, Judge Deshapande under Section 190 (1) (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code took cognnisance of the complaint filed against Dilip Parulekar and adjourned the matter 12th January for inquiry.
Strongly opposing the move to close the case it was submitted to the Court that the Crime Branch in an attempt to shield Dilip Parulekar had derailed and vitiated the investigation by falsely and malafiedly portraying to the Court that Dilip Parulekar was a poor victim who was misled by the Communidade officials to grab the land.
The Court’s attention was drawn that the Crime Branch had over the last two years repeatedly informed the Court that the investigation of the case was almost complete and only sanction from the government was awaited to prosecute the accused.
The Court on 17th March this year while rejecting the Crime Branch’s plea for further time to probe the case had directed that the investigation be completed forthwith after it was pointed out to Judge Deshpande that the Crime Branch was intentionally dragging its feet in the investigation to shield Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar. The Court on 7th October 2014 had directed the Crime Branch to complete the investigation within a month.
On a petition filed the Mapusa JMFC on 16th January 2014 had directed the Porvorim Police to register an FIR against Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, Peter Martins, then attorney of Communidade of Serula and Irene Sequeira, then Administrator of Communidade of Bardez for offences under sections 119, 120, 420 read with 120-B of the Indian Penal Code. The investigation of the case was later transferred to the Crime Branch.
In the complaint the Court’s attention was drawn that the 599 sq mt of prime land on the Chogm Road at Porvorim was given away to Dilip Parulekar without any auction and without following the procedure contemplated under the Code of Communidade and that the whole intention was to fraudulently facilitate the doling out prime Communidade land to Dilip Parulekar.
The Communidade of Serula granted the 599 sq. mts to Dilip Parulekar for a mere Rs. 3,41,320/- though the value of the land was otherwise worth more than a crore and that Dilip Parulekar in connivance with Peter Martins and Irene Sequeira had grabbed that Communidade land at a throw away price by illegal means.
