On August 6, 2015, Churchill Alemao was formally arrested in the Louis Berger bribery case. At that same time his long time foe in local politics, Nuvem MLA Mickky Pacehco, (another ex Benaulim MLA like Alemao), was in the SADA jail serving his prison sentence for assaulting a junior engineer. Thus during the period between august 6 and October 11 when Mickky Pachecho walked out of prison, two of the most flamboyant and controversial characters of Goan politics, were in two different jails , Alemao housed in the new Colvale jail, he himself inaugurated, as jails minister .
Therefore with ‘Unattached’ St Cruz MLA Babush Monseratte in police custody and with a likelihood of him moving to the same place where Pacheco was, it important to look at hard facts about MLAS’s with criminal records. This is no guess work or conjecture. These are from affidavits filed by the MLA’s themselves with their election documents. And thus, there are records of all contestants in various elections
Babush Monserrate is currently facing serious criminal charges of rape and human trafficking. This is something that is not new to Goa’s political history. The only difference between other politicians with criminal records and Monserrate is the gravity of the offence against the latter. India’s highest court has said that politicians with a “criminal background” should not serve in the government – but in Goa, the Laxmikant Parsekar led government has five cabinet ministers, including the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, facing charges, including criminal intimidation and rioting.
Nearly 30 percent of our sitting MLAs have criminal cases registered against them, some even a decade ago. Of the total 40 legislators, 15 MLAs, including eight from the ruling BJP, have criminal cases against them. Interestingly, these names include one current Chief Minister and two former Chief Ministers.
As per a detailed analysis conducted by the election watchdog – Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), based on the affidavit sworn by the legislators before the Election Commission of India (ECI), of the total 213 candidates who contested the March 2012 assembly elections, 17 percent of the candidates had criminal cases against them of which 4 percent were of a serious nature. However, post elections, several Congress leaders have been booked in various cases.
Moreover, of those 40 elected candidates- 14 have criminal cases, including four politicians with serious criminal charges. Beleaguered Nuvem MLA, Francisco ‘Mickky’ Pacheco tops the list with a total of 10 criminal complaints of a serious nature against him including the infamous Nadia Torrado death case in 2010, wherein the former Minister was booked for abetment to suicide and was even jailed. The MLA was recently convicted in a long pending case, wherein he was found guilty of slapping a government servant on duty and had to undergo six months in jail.
The Goa Vikas Party (GVP) legislator has also been booked for extortion, forgery, criminal conspiracy, criminal intimidation and so on.
Former Chief Minister and current MLA Digambar Kamat was recently in the news for the Louis Berger scam, wherein the investigating agency named him as a prime accused in the FIR. He has been booked for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 1.20 crore. Similarly, the leader has also been named in an illegal mining scam- investigated by SIT and an FIR has also been filed against him.
Pratpasingh Rane, former Chief Minister and also the Speaker of the State Assembly has also been named in the illegal mining case by the SIT.
Apart from the current rape and trafficking case, Babush Monserrate was booked in the Panjim police station attack case in 2008, where apparently his wife has also been booked. An FIR has been filed against both and the cases are under trial before the CBI court.
The other ten legislators, including eight from the BJP- Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, Minister for Water Resources Dayanand Mandrekar, Minister for Panchayat Rajendra Arlekar, Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, newly elected MLAs Nilesh Cabral, Michael Lobo and Dr Pramod Sawant face various charges, mainly connected to their political acvitity.
Interestingly, Parsekar, D’Souza and Arlekar, all were booked for rioting in 2006, when the leaders were in the Opposition. The matter is currently pending before the JMFC, Panjim. The State went to elections in 2007, a few months after BJP leaders were booked in August, 2006.
Mandrekar, representing Siolim, has an extortion and criminal intimidation case against him filed in 2005. He was booked for rioting too. A recent FIR has been filed against Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar in the Serula comunidate scam.
Sanquelim MLA, Dr Pramod Sawant was booked in 2011 in the infamous Balli rioting case. In the same case, Ramesh Tawadkar was also booked (later discharged of charges) but his affidavit does not mention any criminal background.
Saffron coated Congress Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho’s and Bicholim Independent MLA, Naresh Sawal’s names are also highlights in the list.
Godinho, the then Power Minister was booked for criminal conspiracy and the matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court and is likely to be finally disposed off shortly. He was accused of a massive scam in power purchase. The complaint against him was filed by then Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar in May 2001. The MLA was even arrested.
In 2010, an FIR was registered against Naresh Sawal for criminal intimidation.
Much has been talked about the sitting MLAs, but to everyone’s knowledge, there are several other politicians woth criminal charges, who served the State and at present are aiming to come to power in the 2017 polls.
Former PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao tops the list, with his fresh ongoing case in the Louis Berge scam making headlines. The former Congress MLA is accused of taking a bribe from the US based firm. He has been chargesheeted, as one of the seven main accused in the matter.
His infamous PWD tender scam, water tank scam in his constituency and the gold smuggling case (allegedly involving his brother, former Urban Development Minister Joaquim), ranks him at the top. All the cases are currently under investigation, with a smuggling case pending before the high court.
Additionally, the names of former MLAs are also included. Late Anil Salgaoncar, Pratap Gawas, Dayanand Sopte, Nilkant Halankar, Rajesh Patnekar, Shyam Satardekar, Dayanand Narvekar, are listed in the chart of politicians with criminal cases against their names.
