ADVOCATE AMIT DESAI GIVEN 48 HOURS TO REFUND THE FIVE LAKHS TO THE GOAGOVERNMENT
Adv. Aires Rodrigues has today given Mumbai Senior Advocate Amit Desaia deadline of 48 hours to refund to the Goa Government the Rs five lakhs he had fraudulently billed for the four hearings he neverappeared for before the Bombay High Court at Goa.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that he would be compelled to file an F.I.Rof cheating against Adv. Amit Desai and Panaji based Adv.Ashwin Bhobe. The Goa Police has already issued a notice to Adv. Amit Desai directing him to furnish High Court appearance certificates for thosefour hearings which he was paid a total of Rs five lakhs.
On the advice of Advocate General Subodh Kantak the Goa Government had engaged Adv. Amit Desai at a fee of Rs 1, 25, 000 per hearing to appear for the State in the Ryan Fernandes death sentence confirmation case. The government also appointed Adv Ashwin Bhobe to assist Adv.Amit Desai at a fee of Rs 5000 per hearing.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that Adv. Amit Desai’s raising the bills was a clear act of cheating, while Adv. Ashwin Bhobe conspired and corroborated in the act by submitting those bills to the governmentknowing that the bills were falsely raised.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the bills of Advocate Amit Desai were submitted to the Goa Government by Advocate Ashwin Bhobe who was fully aware that Adv. Amit Desai had not appeared for those four hearingsand was fraudulently claiming Rs five lakhs.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that Adv. Ashwin Bhobe had also pursued with the authorities to expeditiously clear out of turn Adv. Amit Desai’sbills while bypassing the laid down procedures.
Adv. Rodrigues has stated that this Amit Desai Saga calls for immediate action by the Law department into the manner in which advocates are currently being appointed by the Government as Special Counsels, the fees being agreed to be paidand their bills processed.
Alleging that the current system lacks any transparency with the coterie of lawyers around Advocate General Mr. Subodh Kantak just recklessly bleeding the State exchequer, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the questionable role of Mr. Subodh Kantak in the entire Amit Desai episode has left many questions unanswered.
Adv. Rodrigues has further alleged that a look at the functioning of the Advocate General’s office and the government advocates it reveals that a privileged section of one particular community with the blessings and patronage of Advocate General Mr. Subodh Kantak had been reaping huge illegal benefits bringing the entire judicial system todisrepute.
September 24, 2011
September 23, 2011
TRUTHFUL AND UNTRUTHFUL RELIGIOUS LEADERS.
Bertrand Russell was a great philosopher of this planet. He was a professor at Oxford in UK. During the First World War he was arrested and detained by the British government for being conscientious when he from the class where he was teaching told the students not to support British government in its war. According to Prof. Russell this war was of no use, it was a useless war British government is fighting and you should not support the British government in this war.
Then came the Second World War and again the same Prof. Bertrand Russell in the same university and the same class from where earlier he told his students to stop coming to college, now during the Second World War instead told the students to join the British government in this war in fighting against the Nazis of Hitler. He further said “this monster Hitler is all out to destroy the human civilisation. We by all means have to stop him. Hence, you all join together and help the British government to fight against Germany”.
From the above we see two divergent views expressed by the same man according to his firm upright and truthful principles. Both his views were right according to the voice of his conscience and belief. And because he followed the voice of his conscience strictly and correctly with religious zeal he even accepted arrest but never altered his principle and belief in justice to please his government’s wrong act.
During the invasion time of Kuwait, in the month of September 1990, Saddam Hussein made the Chaldean Christian Bishop to declare from Iraqi TV his support for the illegal invasion of Kuwait. By acceding to the wishes of Saddam Hussein, Chaldean Bishop of Iraq committed a big mistake by justifying the wrong deed of Iraq and thereby he committed a sin against Christianity which does not approve of wrong doing. And as a leader of Christians he should be more faithful to the Christian doctrine of justice than that of Saddam Hussein’s injustice. As a leader of Christian community in Iraq he should have been more faithful to God than to Saddam Hussein even to the extent of going to the prison if required like Bertrand Russell.
The Bishop of Germany during the Second World War declared his support to Hitler while the Bishop of England opposed Hitler and his war on Europe. It is really ironical and funny to see Christian leaders are becoming cowards in front of their State leaders who by supporting injustice go against the Christian doctrine. A true Christian leader will remain faithful to the doctrine of his Heavenly father rather than that of the State leader when there is a clash of interest. A true Christian leader will be bold enough to face even the persecution of his State leader when the matter of fight comes for declaring truth which is the hallmark of Christianity.
On the day of the invasion of Kuwait on 2nd August 1990, early in the morning at about 6.00 I was caught by the Iraqi soldiers at gun point and while they were leading me to the Open Air Prison opposite to Kuwait City Sheraton Hotel, somehow I managed to escape from their clutches. Then next to the Church I entered into the Flat of one Goan family to tell them to take their females and flee from this area because Iraqi invading soldiers will start raping as it happened in Goa in 1961 December when my beloved Goa was invaded by Indian army men. Immediately after me, two Iraqi soldiers entered that Goan Flat and asked all the males from that Flat to leave except females one of them was a young school going girl. Knowing the motive of these ugly and dirty Iraqi soldiers, I refused to leave the Flat holding the young girl’s hand tightly. Noticing my refusal to leave, one Iraqi soldier pointed his gun to me threatening “either leave or I will shoot you”. Then he put the barrel of his gun on my neck and pushed me out of the Flat like a goat.
Immediately I came home and called one of the priests in the Church pleading with him to come out and try to save the girl from the clutches of the Iraqi soldier, the girl was doing lot of good work in the Church including Choir singing. As a priest I told him, Father you will have better chance to save that Catholic girl. But that priest like a coward refrained from doing anything by telling me “just pray and pray”. Wasn’t it the duty of the above priest to be bold enough to come out of the Church and try to save that girl? As a religious leader he should have been ready to risk even his life in the name of God. But I think this priest became coward. Such cowards do not deserve priesthood. Priesthood is the challenge to the brutes and sinful like Iraqi invaders who raped females even in the vicinity of the Kuwait City Church.
Jesus knew that men cannot produce good fruit by its own nor can do anything good so He said His words are recorded in the Gospel of John 15: 4 & 5 by this we can understand that if a person abides in Jesus then he is with Jesus and His character is within a person who abides in Jesus. If a person seeks for the things which are of this world rather than seeking those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God (COLOSSIANS 3: 1). A person should set his affection on things above, not on the earth (COLOSSIANS 3: 2). If a priest is dead for this world (if he truly abides in Jesus) then his life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3: 3).
When priest’s life is hidden in Christ then he acts also like Jesus, one of the characters of Jesus is He is a Good Shepherd for He said in John 15: 13. Jesus said in John 10: 14 that I am a good shepherd. He said in John 10: 11 I am a good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Before the invasion of Goa by the mighty Bharati Military in December 1961, from Portugal its dictator Salazar sent a message to his Governador in Goa to destroy Goa and turn it into ashes before Indian Military entered Goa. Accordingly at some places and locations Bombs were kept, some detonated while others kept undetonated. Then immediately the Portuguese Patriarch of Goa in Goa intervened and forcefully advised the Goa Governador not to carry on with the advice of Salazar because it is a bad advice. Patriarch as a top religious leader of Goa followed the advice of Heavenly Father and agreed to make peaceful end of Portuguese Government in Goa. For this the Governador of Goa had to face the punishment from Salazar when he returned to Portugal.
While concluding I must say that our religious leaders must be ready to speak out the truth fearlessly because the greatness of our religion lies in the truth, straight forward truth as expressed by Prof. Russell, by British Bishop and by the Portuguese Patriarch of Goa. Now a day we see our religious leaders are become “Chamchas” of their governments and rulers for this reason we see rampant injustice prevailing in our midst. Lip service to religion is become the mode of propagating of the religion.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
Then came the Second World War and again the same Prof. Bertrand Russell in the same university and the same class from where earlier he told his students to stop coming to college, now during the Second World War instead told the students to join the British government in this war in fighting against the Nazis of Hitler. He further said “this monster Hitler is all out to destroy the human civilisation. We by all means have to stop him. Hence, you all join together and help the British government to fight against Germany”.
From the above we see two divergent views expressed by the same man according to his firm upright and truthful principles. Both his views were right according to the voice of his conscience and belief. And because he followed the voice of his conscience strictly and correctly with religious zeal he even accepted arrest but never altered his principle and belief in justice to please his government’s wrong act.
During the invasion time of Kuwait, in the month of September 1990, Saddam Hussein made the Chaldean Christian Bishop to declare from Iraqi TV his support for the illegal invasion of Kuwait. By acceding to the wishes of Saddam Hussein, Chaldean Bishop of Iraq committed a big mistake by justifying the wrong deed of Iraq and thereby he committed a sin against Christianity which does not approve of wrong doing. And as a leader of Christians he should be more faithful to the Christian doctrine of justice than that of Saddam Hussein’s injustice. As a leader of Christian community in Iraq he should have been more faithful to God than to Saddam Hussein even to the extent of going to the prison if required like Bertrand Russell.
The Bishop of Germany during the Second World War declared his support to Hitler while the Bishop of England opposed Hitler and his war on Europe. It is really ironical and funny to see Christian leaders are becoming cowards in front of their State leaders who by supporting injustice go against the Christian doctrine. A true Christian leader will remain faithful to the doctrine of his Heavenly father rather than that of the State leader when there is a clash of interest. A true Christian leader will be bold enough to face even the persecution of his State leader when the matter of fight comes for declaring truth which is the hallmark of Christianity.
On the day of the invasion of Kuwait on 2nd August 1990, early in the morning at about 6.00 I was caught by the Iraqi soldiers at gun point and while they were leading me to the Open Air Prison opposite to Kuwait City Sheraton Hotel, somehow I managed to escape from their clutches. Then next to the Church I entered into the Flat of one Goan family to tell them to take their females and flee from this area because Iraqi invading soldiers will start raping as it happened in Goa in 1961 December when my beloved Goa was invaded by Indian army men. Immediately after me, two Iraqi soldiers entered that Goan Flat and asked all the males from that Flat to leave except females one of them was a young school going girl. Knowing the motive of these ugly and dirty Iraqi soldiers, I refused to leave the Flat holding the young girl’s hand tightly. Noticing my refusal to leave, one Iraqi soldier pointed his gun to me threatening “either leave or I will shoot you”. Then he put the barrel of his gun on my neck and pushed me out of the Flat like a goat.
Immediately I came home and called one of the priests in the Church pleading with him to come out and try to save the girl from the clutches of the Iraqi soldier, the girl was doing lot of good work in the Church including Choir singing. As a priest I told him, Father you will have better chance to save that Catholic girl. But that priest like a coward refrained from doing anything by telling me “just pray and pray”. Wasn’t it the duty of the above priest to be bold enough to come out of the Church and try to save that girl? As a religious leader he should have been ready to risk even his life in the name of God. But I think this priest became coward. Such cowards do not deserve priesthood. Priesthood is the challenge to the brutes and sinful like Iraqi invaders who raped females even in the vicinity of the Kuwait City Church.
Jesus knew that men cannot produce good fruit by its own nor can do anything good so He said His words are recorded in the Gospel of John 15: 4 & 5 by this we can understand that if a person abides in Jesus then he is with Jesus and His character is within a person who abides in Jesus. If a person seeks for the things which are of this world rather than seeking those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God (COLOSSIANS 3: 1). A person should set his affection on things above, not on the earth (COLOSSIANS 3: 2). If a priest is dead for this world (if he truly abides in Jesus) then his life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3: 3).
When priest’s life is hidden in Christ then he acts also like Jesus, one of the characters of Jesus is He is a Good Shepherd for He said in John 15: 13. Jesus said in John 10: 14 that I am a good shepherd. He said in John 10: 11 I am a good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Before the invasion of Goa by the mighty Bharati Military in December 1961, from Portugal its dictator Salazar sent a message to his Governador in Goa to destroy Goa and turn it into ashes before Indian Military entered Goa. Accordingly at some places and locations Bombs were kept, some detonated while others kept undetonated. Then immediately the Portuguese Patriarch of Goa in Goa intervened and forcefully advised the Goa Governador not to carry on with the advice of Salazar because it is a bad advice. Patriarch as a top religious leader of Goa followed the advice of Heavenly Father and agreed to make peaceful end of Portuguese Government in Goa. For this the Governador of Goa had to face the punishment from Salazar when he returned to Portugal.
While concluding I must say that our religious leaders must be ready to speak out the truth fearlessly because the greatness of our religion lies in the truth, straight forward truth as expressed by Prof. Russell, by British Bishop and by the Portuguese Patriarch of Goa. Now a day we see our religious leaders are become “Chamchas” of their governments and rulers for this reason we see rampant injustice prevailing in our midst. Lip service to religion is become the mode of propagating of the religion.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
September 22, 2011
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.
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.
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