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Louis Berger Bribery Case:High Court Rejects Churchill’s Bail Plea

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Bombay high court at Goa on Monday rejected the bail application filed by former State PWD minister Churchill Alemao. Two former Congress leaders Churchill and Digambar Kamat are currently in dock for allegedly receiving kick-backs in the multi crore Louis Berger scam.The high court, after hearing both the sides, on Monday dismissed his petition, denying him bail.
The crime branch also raided Churchill’s IT consultant and sezed doucments worth Rs. 100 Crore.
Churchill who was arrested by the Goa police on August 6 moved a fresh application citing parity as co-accused Kamat was granted protection bail by the same court last week.
On July 21, the Crime Branch had registered an FIR against unknown ministers in the Congress government in Goa in 2010 and company officials, and commenced its probe. The Goa Police on 6 August arrested former Goa PWD minister Churchill Alemao for his alleged involvement in the Louis Berger bribery case. The Goa Crime Branch has claimed to have unearthed the money trail which involves a Goa-based hawala operator. On July 21, the Crime Branch registered an FIR against unknown ministers in the 2010 Goa government, and company officials, and commenced its probe. Alemao is the third arrest in the case.
Both Alemao and Kamat have denied all allegations against them. The Louis Berger Group bribery case came to light when the company admitted to violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and agreed to pay a penalty of $17.1 million to resolve charges that it bribed foreign officials before the US Justice Department in July.
In India, the company is accused of bribing officials to win two major water projects in Goa and Guwahati. The beneficiaries of the $9,76,630 paid for the Goa project in August 2010 allegedly included a minister. The Louis Berger Group company was part of a consultancy consortium with two Japanese firms and an Indian partner appointed to manage the $ 311 million Goa water supply and sewerage project awarded in 2009.
On August 7, the Enforcement Directorate had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) which is equivalent to an FIR registered under the provisions of Code of Criminal Procedure. The ECIR was registered against ‘unknown ministers’ under the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) Act, after the police received the FIR registered by the Goa police. So far four people including Churchill, former vice-president of Louis Berger Satyakam Mohanty, head of JICA-aided project in Goa Anand Wachasunder and alleged hawala dealer Raychand Soni have been arrested in the case. Of them, Mohanty and Raychand Soon have been granted bail by the district court.

Crime

Ponda police arrested two govt servants for bribery

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Ponda: Police arrested two government servants for demanding bribe of Rs 20 lakh from a youth on the pretext of providing him a job in police department.

Sachin Pokhle, resident of Dhavali, Ponda who is currently working at Apna Ghar and Pankah Fadte from Morjim working at Secretariat were arrested by Ponda police.

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Crime

Complaint filed against MLA Jit Arolkar over illegal land grabbing and fraudulent sale of property

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A complaint has today been filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues against Mandrem MLA Jit Vinayak Arolkar on the illegal grabbing and fraudulent sale of property admeasuring 1,48,800.00 sq. mtrs at Dhargal in Pernem Taluka bearing survey no 481/0.

The complaint has been filed by Adv. Rodrigues before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) at the Crime Branch on instructions and under due authorisation of his client Mr. Rawloo Vaikunth Khalap, a Senior Citizen aged 76, native of Mapusa but now residing at California in the United States of America.

Pointing out that a hilly landed property known as “Kapni Voril Ghera”, bearing Survey No. 481/0, admeasuring 1, 48,800.00 sq. mtrs situated at Dhargal was co-owned by Late Vaikunth Shet Khalap and Late Sadashiv Sakharam Natekar, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that on the death of Vaikunth Shet Khalap on 13th August 1979 and his wife Shaila Vaikunth Khalap on 24th November 2007 that his client Rawloo Vaikunth Khalap is now one of the co-owners.

Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint has stated that Jit Arolkar based on a Power of Attorney dated 24/12/2012 deceitly executed between him and legal heirs of Late Sadashiv Sakharam Natekar took over the affairs of the and illegally created approx. 200 plots in the property between 8/11/2013 and 14/3/2018 while illegally and fraudulently executing sale deeds with third parties and selling the entire property without the express consent of all the legal heirs of the co-owners of the property.

The complaint states that despite the property being undivided and common with no partition of land or share carried out by any authority that by devious acts of the accused Jit Arolkar the Form I & XIV now reflects number of illegal mutation entries.

The complaint further states that the property is depicted as orchard land on the regional development plan and till date no conversion of land sanads have been issued by any authority or any conversion proceedings conducted before Dy. Collector of Pernem or North Goa Collector.

Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint has further stated that Jit Arolkar in gross violation of law with political patronage and funds allegedly generated through land scams has also funded and constructed tar roads illegally connecting to the village road and electricity poles also installed unlawfully while no action has been taken by the Electricity department and PWD.

Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint has further drawn the attention of the SIT that Jit Arolkar has also reportedly illegally created number of small plots in the adjacent property bearing Survey No. 498 and merrily in defiance of law has similarly illegally and fraudulently sold to various parties plots by executing similar devious sale deeds.

The complaint also states that the entire illegality, high-handed and systematic land grabbing scam that Mr. Rawloo Vaikunth Khalap has had to endure had been brought to the notice of various government departments but due to political clout enjoyed by the Jit Arolkar no action whatsoever has been taken.

Stating that Jit Arolkar had in 2001 joined the Goa Police as a constable only to quit within a decade possibly after making a huge fortune on land scams which is an issue that has to be investigated by the SIT, Adv. Rodrigues has along with the complaint submitted a copy of the affidavit filed by Jit Arolkar on 28th January this year before the returning officer along with his nomination papers for the Mandrem Assembly Constituency which reveals that Jit Arolkar has blatantly amassed very huge wealth beyond his known sources of income.

Seeking that the complaint be registered as an F.I.R against Jit Arolkar and be promptly investigated in accordance with law, Adv. Rodrigues has expressed the hope that the SIT will act without fear or favor despite the accused currently being an MLA supporting the ruling government. (GoaNewsHub)

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Crime

Another arrest in Jail Guard drugs case at Colvale

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Colvale police have arrested one Mr. Yogesh Pagi R/o Canacona in connection with drugs case in which initially a Jail guard Mr. Suresh Gaude was arrested some days ago.

As per SDPO Mapusa Jivba Dalvi during interrogation with the arrested jail guard it was revealed that the drugs were meant for under trial prisoner Mr. Vikat Bhagat R/o Canacona and the said drugs were given to the jail guard by one Mr. Yogesh Pagi.

Accordingly a trap was laid on 25/06/2022 and late night accused Yogesh Pagi was nabbed from Agonda, Canacona and placed under arrest.

Police have also sought the custody of Vikat Bhagat through transfer warrant.

Further investigation is in progress with Pi Somnath Majik under supervision of SP Shri Shobit Saxena IPS and SDPO Mapusa Shri Jivba Dalvi.

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