Every Goan and our fellow Goenkars across the world are now rightly rejoicing and very sincerely fully commend Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for having demonstrated that rare spine in sternly sacking the extremely dubious and awfully tricky now disgraced Atmaram Nadkarni from further appearing for the State of Goa before the Supreme Court, NGT and the Madhei Tribunal.
Atmaram Nadkarni over the last many years taking undue advantage of his very close clout with Manohar Parrikar was mercilessly displacing people from their rightful positions. Now it is the turn of Atmaram Nadkarni to taste his own medicine and face that music.
Pramod Sawant had last month displayed exemplary courage in appointing a very honest and sincere Devidas Pangam as Goa’s AG after sacking the corrupt and unfit Dattaprasad Lawande who was appointed as AG without any merits whatsoever but just because he was a very close relative of Atmaram Nadkarni.
Unlike that huge bandwagon of an Advocate mafia comprising of friends and family that was appointed by Atmaram Nadkarni as AG and that tradition carried forward by his succeeding relative Dattaprasad Lawande, it is now sincerely hoped that the current AG Devidas Pangam will sincerely ensure that his team of lawyers in the High Court is small but very well qualified to protect the good interests of the State. In view of the fact that the State coffers are empty, there is need to keep to the bare minimum the financial burden of appointing Government Advocates in the High Court.
With the blessings of the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Narendra Modi, Atmaram Nadkarni was trying to sneak in as a Judge of the Supreme Court. But I wrote a very open letter to the Chief Justice of India and all his fellow Judges giving entire details of Atmaram Nadkarni’s treacherous background and that it would be the darkest ever day in the history of the Indian Judiciary, if Atmaram Nadkarni creeps in as a Supreme Court Judge.I drew the attention of the Honourable Supreme Court Judges that Atmaram Nadkarni by his blatant acts of omission and commission had brought utter and sheer disgrace to the high Constitutional post earlier as Advocate General of Goa and now as Additional Solicitor General of India.
In my very candid letter to the Supreme Court Judges, I also drew their attention that if a person like Atmaram Nadkarni is allowed to occupy the August Chair as Judge of the India’s highest Temple of Justice, that the Supreme Court would be reduced to a den for fixing matters and become a trader’s paradise. I will now be writing again to the Chief Justice of India and his fellow Judges as to why Atmaram Nadkarni was sacked by the Goa Government.
Professional ethics demands that a person occupying such high and solemn constitutional post as Advocate General or Additional Solicitor General should never ever appear for a private party in a case where the government is directly or even indirectly a party but this cardinal principle was brazenly flouted by Atmaram Nadkarni in his never ending penchant for raking in the moolah even by any unholy means. Atmaram Nadkarni even facilitated his client Vijay Mallya’s safe escape from India after having looted our nation by over 9000 crores.
Persons appointed to any Constitutional position should never be someone who have a lust and greed for wealth or having vested interest with any lobby but has to always ensure the State’s best interests at heart and should act as a role model while upholding impeccable integrity and the highest ethical standards.
The very dubious Atmaram Nadkarni has maintained close links with the Mining, Casino and Builder’s lobby while in violation of ethics and in conflict of interest has been deviously appearing directly and indirectly in cases against the Government.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant needs to probe into the mind boggling wealth and assets acquired by Atmaram Nadkarni and Dattaprasad Lawande. Let us hope that in the public interest the Chief Minister will not shy away from ordering that probe into the mega public funds that have been unduly pocketed by Atmaram Nadkarni and his relative Dattaprasad Lawande while merrily taking Goa and Goans for a jolly good ride. God has been watching it all.
Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done especially in the Judiciary. Lawyers must uphold the rule of law and the judiciary must live up to the faith bestowed in them at all times. They must be independent of the executive always acting in the best interests of the state and the people they represent. Transparency and openness are crucial to instilling public confidence in the justice system. Regrettably this has been lacking over the last few years but the recent appointment of our current AG, Devidas Pangam gives us hope for a brighter future.
