This may perhaps be one criminal case where curtains are yet to come down on the trial dragging on for 12 long years. Indeed, the sensational fake cricket ticket case is stuck up at the High Court for around half a decade after the trial court had ordered framing of criminal charges against nine accused, including then GCA Chief Dayanand Narvekar and other office bearers, reports Guilherme Almeida.
Justice delayed is justice denied, so goes a popular saying. And, Chairman of Goa Human Rights Commission, Justice P K Mishra went a step ahead recently by saying that justice delayed is not only justice denied, but amounts to violation of human rights.
April 6 will mark 12 years since the cricket ticket-gate rocked the State during the India-Australia ODI match at the Nehru Stadium, Fatorda way back in 2001 when the Goa Cricket Association (GCA) affairs were presided over by Dayanand Narvekar.
Many an ardent cricket fan with genuine tickets had to suffer the brunt of police lathis and return home disappointed without watching the match since the stadium was packed to capacity with many a spectator finding their way inside with fake cricket tickets.
Twelve years down the line and there seems no end to the trial, with the matter stuck up in the High Court over the last half a decade.
The matter has been pending in the High Court ever since Narvekar and eight other accused persons, including incumbent GCA chief Vinod Phadke filed an appeal against the order of the South Goa Sessions Court, which had upheld the order of the trial court framing charges against all the nine accused.
While the High Court had stayed operation of the Sessions Court vis-à-vis framing of criminal charges against the nine accused, the matter is pending disposal since then after Judges of the High Court from
Sources in the know, however, said the mater is expected to come up for arguments next week before a single Judge bench, raising hopes that the appeal filed by the nine accused will be finally disposed off by the High Court.
It was Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao Ashley Norohna who had ordered framing of charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery against Narvekar, Vinod Phadke, Rama Shankar Das and others after they were chargesheeted by the Margao police in connection with the case.
In the charge-sheet, the Margao police had charged Narvekar, Ramshankar Das and Vinod Phadke for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy with the ticket contractor, Chinmay Fallari for the sale of tickets by manipulation in the tender for a consideration of Rs 68 lakh.
The police further charged the trio for intentionally placing orders for 29,000 tickets and complimentary passes before Hitech Print System,
In execution of the criminal conspiracy, the excess tickets numbering 1,650 worth Rs 9.37 lakh were allegedly unauthorisedly diverted to accused Eknath Naik, the brother-in-law of Dayanand Narvekar for sale. The police alleged that Eknath sold the tickets for higher premium to the general public and cheated them.
The police further charged the trio for allegedly printing 700 fake complimentary tickets from Classical Computers, Panjim and illegally sold the tickets to general public in execution of the criminal conspiracy.
