MARGAO: The Crime Branch has vehemently opposed bail to arrested former Canacona Municipal Chief Officer Pradip Naik, claiming that the former CO had granted backdated license renewals for the Ruby Residency project.
Appearing for the state, Special Public Prosecutor Adv Rajiv Gomes argued there is every possibility of the accused officer influencing the witnesses not to speak the truth given his current position as the Sub-divisional Magistrate.
He pointed out that reports submitted by experts revealed that the Chief Officer did not carry out proper verification and inspection before granting the license. “A Chief Officer is bound to scrutinise the file. How can you give or renew the license without the conversion sanad? Pradip had neither conducted the mandatory site inspection nor had scrutinised the file”, Adv Gomes submitted. Moreover, he said the arrested former Chief Officer ought to have been extra cautious given that there was a complaint lodged by a resident of Canacona against building irregularities.
Special Judge Nutan Sardesai has now fixed
the matter for order on
February 24.
