PANJIM: The Special Judge under the Prevention of Corruption, B P Deshpande, on Thursday directed Crime Branch Police Inspector Sidhanth Shirodkar to file an affidavit as to how there were reports in the media that Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar was a victim and not an accused in the Serula Comunidade land grab case. Directing that the affidavit be filed within a week, Judge Deshpande adjourned the matter to December 26.
The directions came after hearing the petition filed by Aires Rodrigues asking that Inspector Sidhanth Shirodkar be hauled up for contempt of court for making false and misleading statements on the case. The complainant had alleged that the inspector had made false and misleading public statements and has sought that the court to direct the Director General of Police to entrust the investigation of the case to another officer.
In another case, Rodrigues filed a petition before the Bombay High Court at Goa challenging the December 15 order, passed by Special Judge under the Prevention of Corruption, B P Deshpande, who for lack of sanction from the government declined to direct the Anti-Corruption Branch to register an FIR against Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly Rajendra Arlekar in the disproportionate assets case.
The petition was mentioned Thursday for early hearing before the Division Bench of Justice R M Borde and Justice F M Reis who agreed to hear the petition on December 22.
Seeking the quashing of that order passed by the Special Court, the petitioner had sought an order of the High Court directing the Anti-Corruption Branch to register an FIR against Rajendra Arlekar and to conduct appropriate investigation in accordance with law.
