TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: A team of Mumbai police will soon take custody of Congressman Mathew Smith who is currently in police custody for allegedly duping a reputed jewellery store in the capital last month, and for conning a businessman of Rs 20 lakh around a year ago.
The Panjim police, investigating the Rs 17 lakh jewellery cheating case against him, are also probing his alleged role in duping a Chennai industrialist of about Rs 20 lakh. However this is being verified with Tamil Nadu police.
At present, Smith – who was appointed as secretary during the tenure of Subhash Shirodkar as Goa state unit president – has been remanded to four days police custody to undergo custodial interrogation.
“We expect the Mumbai police to reach Goa by Monday, and take his custody on transfer warrant in a fraud registered against him there,” Panjim police inspector Rajendra Prabhudesai told Herald.
The Mumbai police had recently re-opened the case against the politician, after the victim approached the local court seeking justice. “The case was closed as Smith was untraceable since the case was registered over a year ago. The chargesheet had stated that he was absconding. Earlier this year, our team was deputed to Goa to locate him but in vain,” a police sub inspector attached to Navi Mumbai police, told Herald on condition of anonymity.
In another case, Smith is supposedly involved in duping a woman industrialist of Rs 80 lakh. The Panjim police are expected to communicate with its counterparts seeking details following which further action will be taken.
Sources said the alleged conman could have more cases in Bangalore and Madhya Pradesh, however, the special branch of the respective police stations have been asked to unearth details.
While Panjim police have not planned to question any Congress member as of now, the party confirmed that Smith is no longer an officer bearer.
Party general secretary Sunil Kawthankar said “He is not an office bearer of the party.”
Party general secretary Sunil Kawthankar reacted by saying, “He is not an office bearer of the party. In the past, there had been a lot of wrong things done but the present structure of the party is clean.”
