PANAJI: A North Goa court has rejected the anticipatory bail application of Shyam Dnyaneshwar Palkar, allegedly involved in a case registered at the Porvorim police station of cheating a doctor of Rs 53 lakh. The court directed the accused to surrender before the Porvorim police station within 24 hours and cooperate with police investigation.
In his complaint, Dr Vikas Naik stated that he was dishonestly induced to part with Rs 53 lakh by the prime accused, Taslim Arif Mohammed, proprietor of A&M Realtors & Developers, Santa Cruz, and Jai Lotlikar, resident of Kadamba Plateau, for developing survey number 234/1 in Socorro, Porvorim, and another property at Anjuna. Naik said that the duo had failed to invest the money into any project or property and had also failed to return his money.
The investigating officer submitted to the court that Palkar had refused to divulge any information as to why Mohammed had transferred Rs 13.84 lakh into his account.
Advocate Anand Palkar representing Palkar submitted that he has certain business relations with Mohammed and pointed out that the money was received over a period of two years.
“However, Palkar was not willing, in the course of arguments, to divulge even to the court in what connection the applicant (Palkar) had received the money from the accused,” the court noted.
Public prosecutor Ralston Barreto said that Palkar “deserves no indulgence of this court” as he was not cooperating with the investigation.
“I find that the demeanour of the applicant does not demonstrate any sincerity in cooperating with police investigations in the case. Merely by stating that he has cooperated with the investigation does not mean the applicant has effectively cooperated with the investigations into the crime involving huge sums of money,” ad hoc additional sessions judge, FTC, Mapusa, Bosco G F Roberts, said.
The court said that as submitted by Barreto, Palkar “in all probability was laundering money obtained by the prime accused” by cheating various persons.
“The offence, apparently, is an economic offence involving huge sums of money, warranting a deeper investigation,” the court stated.
