VICTORY FOR ADV. AIRES RODRIGUES' CAMPAIGN.

GOA POLICE ISSUE NOTICE TO MUMBAI SENIOR LAWYER AMIT DESAI.

The Goa Police have issued a notice calling upon Mumbai SeniorAdvocate Amit Desai to furnish appearance certificates issued by theBombay High Court at Goa for the four hearings he had claimed to haveappeared and billed the Goa Government Rs five lakhs.

Acting on a complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues, the North GoaSuperintendent of Police Mr. Arvind Gawas has directed Adv. Amit Desaito immediately furnish the appearance certificates for the fourhearings he had claimed to have appeared for the State of Goa beforethe High Court at Goa in the confirmation of death sentence case ofMr.

Ryan Fernandes the main accused in the 2005 Vasco based Dr.Shrikant Verenkar murder case. Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint to the police has alleged that the GoaGovernment was billed Rupees five lakhs by Senior Advocate Mr. AmitDesai for four hearings in the High Court he never appeared.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that Advocate Amit Desai billed the GoaGovernment Rs 3, 75,000 for appearing before the Bombay High Court atGoa on 26th, 27th and 28th November 2008 but that the Court records donot show his appearance. Adv. Rodrigues has further stated that Adv.Amit Desai billed the Government for another Rs 1, 25,000 for anappearance on 13th Jan 2009 while the court records reveal that therewas no hearing of the case on that day.

Surprisingly the Goa Government paid Adv. Amit Desai the five lakhswithout requiring him to produce appearance certificates issued by theHigh Court as is mandatory before any government advocate is paid.

Documents obtained by Adv. Aires Rodrigues under the RTI Act from theHome Department has revealed that Advocate General Subodh Kantak hadby a note on 7th October 2008 proposed that Adv. Amit Desai be engagedat a fee of Rs 1, 25, 000 per hearing to appear for the State in thedeath sentence confirmation case.

Adv. Amit Desai was also allowed executive class airfare from Mumbaiand stay at a five star hotel in Panaji. The Goa government alsoappointed a Panaji lawyer Mr. Ashwin Bhobe to assist Adv. Amit Desaiwith an appearance charge of Rs 5000 per hearing. Interestingly thefile notings show that on 11th July 2007 Advocate General SubodhKantak himself had agreed that Public Prosecutor Mrs. T. S. Sardinhashould represent the State in the case. The file notings also showthat then High Court Public Prosecutor Mrs. Winnie Coutinho had alsodeclined to appear in the matter as the accused Mr. Ryan Fernandes wasknown to her.

The information furnished to Adv. Aires Rodrigues further reveals thatthe Goa Government has already spent a whopping Rs 11, 29, 266 on Adv.Amit Desai. Of the total expenditure incurred Rs 10 lakhs was towardsAdv. Amit Desai’s court appearance charges while Rs 74,636 towards hishotel accommodation and Rs 54, 630 towards airfare expenses. Theexpenditure of Rs 11, 29, 266 incurred is from October 2008 toFebruary 2009 as the subsequent bills to date from Adv. Amit Desai arestill being processed.

The documents furnished by the Goa Police also show that Adv. AmitDesai held a two and half hour conference at Mumbai on 22nd November2008 which was attended by Public Prosecutor Mrs. T.S. Sardinha, Adv.Ashwin Bhobe and Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr. Mahesh Gaonkarwho was the Investigating Officer of the case. Adv. Amit Desai thensent the Goa Government a bill of Rs 62,500 for that Mumbai Conferenceat the rate of Rs 25,000 per hour. The government however declined topay that bill stating that he was not entitled to bill for theconference held.

It is however not known as to why Advocate General Mr. Subodh Kantakhad not himself appeared for the State in the confirmation case. It isalso not known as to why the State Government agreed to engage alawyer from Mumbai incurring such heavy expenditure though there areso many lawyers practicing criminal law in Goa. The records also donot show that the Government had made any efforts to engage theservices of any lawyer locally. A perusal of the orders recording theproceedings of the case show that Adv. Amit Desai had on least threeoccasions traveled all the way from Mumbai only to seek an adjournmentof the case while burdening the State exchequer by another Rs 1,25,000plus travel and accommodation for each of those trips.

Records of the case also reveal that since the confirmation case wasfiled in 2007 there have been already 28 hearings with the 29th onescheduled on 10th October 2011. Ironically the records reveal thatAdv. Amit Desai on 25th July this year submitted before the High Courtthat the Government was not pressing for the confirmation of the deathsentence. It is wondered as to why Adv. Ashwin Bhobe the localadvocate could not have informed this to the court instead of havingAdv. Amit Desai to come from Mumbai only to make this submission.Interestingly the Law department and the Home department have nowhowever informed Adv. Aires Rodrigues that the Goa Government has nottaken a decision not to press for the death sentence.

It may be recalled that South Goa Sessions Judge on June 15, 2007 hadawarded the death penalty to Ryan Fernandes, the main accused, andsentenced three other co-accused Mr. Francis D'Sa, Mr. Rajendra Singhand Mr. Sachin Parab to life imprisonment in the sensational murdercase of Dr Shrikant Verekar. The 55-year-old doctor from Vasco wasmurdered on Monday 17th Jan 2005 after being abducted. The body of theslain doctor was found seven hours later at Cansaulim. A deathsentence awarded cannot be executed unless it is confirmed by the HighCourt. The confirmation of the death sentence case filed in 2007 andseems to be taking longer than the investigation and trial of the caseitself.

Meanwhile, Adv. Aires Rodrigues has today stated that if Adv. AmitDesai does not immediately refund to the State exchequer the Rs fivelakhs he had fraudulently billed the Goa Government that he would becompelled to register an F.I.R of cheating against Adv. Amit Desai.

AGNELO GOMES ON VERONICA'S ARTICLE.

Goans don't have to defeat Congress nor BJP. Goan voters are no better than the corrupt Congress nor the BJP. They all are together.

Only Niz Goenkars if they come together then they should defeat the annexation of Goa by the Revolution. Similar to Egypt, Lybian, Palestian Style. Then defeat the corrupt Goans.

After the Revolt prove to the United Nations that corrupt Democracy introduced by India is unaccountable and fake. It's the Patriotic Goans are against corrupt Goans and corrupt Clergy men.

Viva Goa Revolution.

Agnelo Gomes
The Combakar

In a message dated 9/20/2011 11:04:59 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, averonicaf806@hotmail.com writes:

G O A

--No plans in this revolution are written for retreat--
September 20, 2011
FOR MINORITIES SECURITY, DEFEAT BJP.