Judge B.P. Deshpande of the Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Thursday rejected a plea of Crime Branch of Goa police for further eight weeks time to investigate a cheating and land grab case against Goa’s Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar.
Rejecting the plea for further time, Justice Deshpande on Thursday directed the Crime Branch to submit the report along with the case diary within eight days and adjourned the matter to March 28. The court has also directed the Crime Branch to attach the file pertaining to the case from the north Goa Collector’s office.
Opposing the plea for further time, lawyer-activist Aires Rodrigues had submitted that the Crime Branch was intentionally dragging its feet in the probe to shield Tourism Minister Parulekar.
Mr. Rodrigues in his complaint had drawn the Court’s attention that the 599 sq mt of prime land at Porvorim was given away to Mr. Parulekar without following due procedures.
Communidades are age-old village land communes of Goa which were established during erstwhile Portuguese rule.
Mr. Rodrigues had also alleged that the Communidade of Serula in north Goa granted the land to Mr. Parulekar at a throw away price allegedly with the connivance of few officials.
