SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa Lokayukta Justice P K Misra on Thursday directed that Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) register a First Information Report (FIR) in a disproportionate assets case filed by Advocate Aires Rodrigues against former Power Minister and sitting Cumbarjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar.
The Lokayukta, after hearing final arguments on July 24, had reserved the order in the matter. After holding a preliminary inquiry in the complaint, the Lokayukta in his order on September 17, 2019 held that reasonable grounds exist for conducting a detailed investigation in the matter. He also observed that on going through all the material on record it cannot be said that the complaint was frivolous or vexatious.
In his order, the Lokayukta also directed that the Law Secretary be impleaded as a party and that a copy of the complaint be also forwarded to the Chief Minister, and that proceedings be initiated against former North Superintendent of Police, Priyanka Kashyap for dereliction of duty in not registering the FIR.
Rodrigues on June 7, 2018 had filed a complaint with the Lokayukta over inaction of ACB in probing the complaint filed by him against the MLA despite evidence that Madkaikar’s Nikitasha Realtors Pvt Ltd had on April 1, 2017 inaugurated a huge palatial bungalow at Old Goa estimated to have cost around a whopping Rs 200 crore.
The advocate had demanded that the ACB register an FIR under Sections 13(1) (d) & (e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and Section 120-B of Indian Penal Code against Madkaikar and his wife Janita, Sarpanch of Old Goa and to speedily investigate the case. The complainant alleged that the cost of the bungalow was disproportionate to the actual source of income of the MLA and his wife.
Incidentally, Justice Misra’s order on Thursday comes on the day he retired as the Ombudsman. A day earlier on Wednesday, the Lokayukta had directed ACB to file a FIR against unknown persons and fake beneficiaries of the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Fund. In his order, the Lokayukta had said that if politicians and officials are involved in the Labour Gate scam, the case should then be handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation.
