MARGAO: Senior Division and Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Margao, on Friday acquitted all accused including then Goa Cricket Association (GCA) president, Dayanand Narvekar and eight others in the infamous 2001 ticket gate case. The one-day international cricket game between India and Australia was played on April 6, 2001 on Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
JMFC Margao court acquitted them as the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) was absent and the prosecution failed to prove their crime.
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It may be recalled that during the last hearing, the Court had ordered that since no steps have been taken by prosecution to prosecute the matter, the evidence of prosecution stands closed.
The Special Public Prosecutor V. Borkar had filed a memo along with a letter addressed to the Under Secretary, Govt. of Goa withdrawing his appearance before the above court. Borkar had stated that since he had already notified the state that he is withdrawing his appearance, he no longer has any instruction from the State and therefore is not in a position to take any steps in the matter.
Margao police had filed a chargesheet against Narvekar, Vinod Phadke, Rama Shankardas, Chinmay Fallari and his brother Devdutt Fallari, Eknath Naik, Gangaram Bishe, Venkatesh Desai and Joaquim Pires. They were charged under sections of the IPC, including printing and sale of fake tickets, criminal conspiracy and cheating the public. Sections slapped against them were 461, 465, 468, 471, 201 and 120 (b).
