TUESDAY, MAY 07, 2024
MARGAO, APRIL 5
Justice delayed is justice denied, so goes the saying. But this criminal case — which hogged the limelight nine years ago – is yet to witness a full-fledged trial till date.
The infamous India-Australia ODI fake ticket scam case involving Goa Cricket Association (GCA) chief Dayanand Narvekar is stuck up over the question of framing of charges against the nine accused persons.
While the lower court had ordered framing of criminal charges against Narvekar and eight others in the infamous case – which was later upheld by the Sessions Court, South – the High Court has stayed the lower court’s order pending a decision.
Narvekar and others had preferred an appeal to the High Court against the order of the Sessions Court upholding the order of the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao directing framing of criminal charges against the nine accused.
Sources said the matter is still pending in the High Court ever since the court had stayed the operation of the Sessions Court order. Proceedings in the case have come to a halt in the lower court ever since the High Court had stayed the Sessions court order.
It was Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao Ashley Norohna who had three years ago ordered framing of charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery against Narvekar and others. But, before the charges could be framed against the accused, Navekar and others field a revision application before the Sessions Court, which upheld the order of the lower court.
The April 6 ODI between Australia and India had hit the headlines after cricket fans with genuine tickets were left stranded outside the Nehru stadium, Fatorda. Many of these ardent cricket fans had borne the brunt of police lathis despite possessing valid tickets for the cricket match.
The Margao police later charged Narvekar, Ramshankar Das and Vinod Phadke for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy with the ticket contractor, Chinmay Fallari for the sale of tickets by manipulation in the tender for a consideration of Rs 68 lakh.
The police further charged the trio for intentionally placing orders for 29,000 tickets and complimentary passes before Hitech print system, Hyderabad beyond the capacity of the stadium, which was put at 27,300 spectators.
In execution of the criminal conspiracy, the excess tickets numbering 1650 worth Rs 9.37 lakh were allegedly unauthorisedly diverted to the accused Eknath Naik, the brother-in-law of Dayanand Narvekar for sale. The Police alleged that Eknath sold the tickets for higher premium to the general public and cheated them.
The police further charged the trio for allegedly printing 700 fake complimentary tickets from Classical computers Panjim and illegally sold the tickets to general public in execution of the criminal conspiracy.
