Panaji Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashley Noronha on Saturday fixed for June 12 the final arguments in the cheating case filed by activist lawyer Aires Rodrigues against former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Nilesh Amonker, managing partner of Apex Computer and Engineering Services.
In a complaint filed on February 6 at the Panaji Police station, Mr. Rodrigues had alleged that Mr. Parrikar and Mr. Amonkar committed offences under Sections 420, 406, 409 read with Section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code by having criminally conspired, cheated and caused loss to the State exchequer in the fraudulent renting of office premises at ‘Spaces’ and ‘Kamat Towers’ at Patto Plaza at a very exorbitant annual rent of over Rs. 5.5 crore.
With the Panaji police failing to act, Mr. Rodrigues later moved the Panaji Court seeking directions to register an FIR against Mr. Parrikar and Mr. Amonker and to promptly investigate the case while also seeking that the court monitor the investigation as the accused Mr. Parrikar and Mr. Amonkar are politically well connected.
In his petition filed under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, petitioner has pointed out that the Panaji Police were acting as “caged parrots” in shielding the politically very influential accused. As such he sought that the police be directed to promptly investigate the case and that the court monitor the investigation. Mr. Rodrigues has in his petition drawn the court’s attention that Mr. Parrikar by a note moved on November 26, 2012, directed that readymade premises of around 3000 sq. m be hired to accommodate government offices but surprisingly on February 25 an altered and tailor-made advertisement was issued calling for expression of interest for office space of 6,000 to 7,000 sq. m on hire purchase basis for which besides Mr. Amonker the only other valid bid being of Prudential Group Real Estate Developers owned by Mr. Amonker’s brother-in-law Gaurang Sinai Suctancar.
Therefore he alleged that Mr. Parrikar and Mr. Amonker criminally hatched a conspiracy with dishonest intention for their sole benefit and that on instructions of Mr. Parrikar, the government deviated from hire purchase.
