A petition has been today filed before the Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act seeking directions to the Anti- Corruption Branch (ACB) to immediately register an F.I.R. against Speaker of Goa Assembly Rajendra Arlekar in the disproportionate assets case. In the petition filed under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code it has been sought that the ACB be also directed to speedily investigate the case in accordance with law.
The Court's attention has been drawn that by a sale deed dated 26th August last year Speaker Rajendra Arlekar purchased from a Delhi based journalist Dharmanand Kamat the 500 sq mt plot at Porvorim on a payment of Rs 72 lakhs and that the sale deed does not reveal the mode of payment as to whether the amount paid by Rajendra Arlekar was in cash, cheque or draft. Besides the 72 lakhs Rajendra Arlekar also paid an amount of Rs 2,52,000 towards stamp duty and a further Rs 2,16,280 as registration and processing fees of that Sale deed. It has been pointed out to the Court that in an affidavit filed by Rajendra Arlekar on 9th February 2012 he had shown his income for the year 2010-2011 as Rs 2,76,671 and that of his wife Anagha Deshpande Arlekar who is a school teacher as Rs 5,87,186. The purchase of the plot now for 72 lakhs by Rajendra Arlekar is clearly disproportionate to his last known source of income. The Court has been informed that the ACB officers are acting as caged parrots and dragging their feet only because the accused Rajendra Arlekar was a powerful well connected politician of the ruling party. Seeking directions that Rajendra Arlekar be immediately booked under Section 13 (1) (d) & (e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and Section 120-B of IPC and/or Section 34 of IPC, it has been submitted to the Court that the malafied inaction by the ACB was in rank contravention and contempt of the directions by the Supreme Court that the police have to mandatorily register an F.I.R when the complaint discloses a cognizable offence Aires Rodrigues T1 - B30, Ribandar Retreat Ribandar - Goa - 403006 Mobile: 9822684372
