Team Herald
MARGAO: The South Goa Sessions Court, Margao on Monday ordered release of Sunita Rodrigues, who was in the alleged multi-crore investment scam cheating a huge number of investors.
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Sessions Judge Sherin G Paul released Sunita on executing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety in like amount. She has been asked to furnish her permanent residential address and the address of her work place, if any, to the Court and also to the investigating officer including if there is a change in the address.
The applicant has also been asked to furnish to the Court and the investigating officer her present mobile number/s and also any change in future in the mobile number/s. She has been asked not to leave the State and the country without permission of the investigating officer or the Court in which the applicant faces trial in this case.
The other conditions are to surrender her passport to the IO, not to influence, induce, threaten or coerce the witnesses and also not to contact the complainant and any person acquainted with the facts of the case/witnesses in any manner.
Sunita has been directed to report to the investigating officer of the Crime Branch Police for a period of eight days between 9 am and 1 pm.
On December 7, the Crime Branch arrested for alleged fraudulent activities and for playing a crucial role in the multi crore investment scam. Despite being summoned for questioning, Sunita had been evasive and non-cooperative, prompting the police to take action, the police had stated.
The EOC had registered a case against Sunita, ex-wife of main accused Myron under Sections 406 and 420 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3 and 5 of Goa Protection of Financial Depositors Act, 1999.
In her bail application, Sunita has stated that she was not involved in any criminal case and that she had been falsely implicated as a decoy accused even after cooperating with the authorities since the registering of an FIR in October 2023. She said that she was made a scapegoat as the main accused Myron Rodrigues had absconded.
The applicant stated that she had filed a complaint against Myron and others even prior to the registration of the FIR. She told the Court that she herself had fallen victim to the Ponzi scheme of the accused by investing money with him and prayed that she be released on bail.
The investigating officer (IO) submitted that the offence committed by the accused persons was heinous and serious in nature and as such, custodial interrogation of the applicant was required to establish a money trail, to find out their more associates, for crucial recovery of important evidence including financial records, documents and electronic devices related to the crime.
The investors had deposited Rs 20,83,90,336 with the accused persons and failed to pay the assured returns as well as the principal amount to the investors and thus misappropriated the amount/money of the investors for their use, for their personal gains and thereby cheated the investors. Also 38 complaints were filed by investors against Myron Rodrigues and Deepali Parab, all amounting to Rs 23,21,94,672. There are more than 50 investors who had been duped of Rs100 crore.
Adv Sahil Sardessai argued on behalf of the accused and public prosecutor V G Costa represented the State.
