Team Herald
PANJIM: Special Judicial Magistrate (SJM) Mapusa, Sudin Sangodkar, who was grilled by Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in the bribery case involving a peon, said that ACB has not followed proper procedure in the case.
He said that he was summoned by the ACB without prior sanction of the court. He said there should be a sanction of the High Court or administrative judge to call him for investigation.
Sangodkar also claims that his parent organisation, the High Court, is not helping him in this case. “I approached my parent organisation after I received the call letter from ACB, they gave no objection to depose,” he said.
He further said that on oral instruction he had removed a peon, Tilu Aroskar, from his office for suspicious activities. “I don’t know how he came with the file to me on that day and who had given him the file. It also needs to be investigated,” he said. He, however, said he issued a challan for Rs 500 after receiving the file.
He also alleged that ACB’s act is defaming the judiciary. “I have been called for questioning and made to sit for two hours in the corridor, now I have been asked to get the receipt book on January 29,” he said.
ACB last week grilled Sangodkar in the corruption case that saw the arrest of Aroskar. Following the interrogation, Sangodkar’s house was searched the same day.
Aroskar was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 200 to settle a fine of the MV Act violation. He was caught in a trap laid by the ACB sleuths following a complaint.
