Adv. Aires Rodrigues has moved the North Goa Sessions Court against the 5th January order passed by Mapusa Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Pooja Desai convicting him in the criminal case that was filed against him in connection with alleged social media posts on the sex scandal involving the then Water Resources Minister Vinod Paliencar.
In his appeal filed under Section 374(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, Adv. Rodrigues has challenged the JMFC’s order on 49 grounds while submitting that the order was legally perverse while being contrary to law and the evidence on record.
On a complaint filed by Siolim based Shreha Dhargalkar that she had been linked to the sex scandal, an F.I.R was registered against Adv. Aires Rodrigues on 27th November 2017 at the Anjuna Police Station. The F.I.R within a week was transferred to the Crime Branch by the IGP citing the gravity of the offence and to ensure a professional investigation with directions to the SP Crime that the case be assigned to a competent Inspector.
After investigating the case for three years the Crime Branch Inspector Dattaguru Sawant on 27th November 2020 filed a 210 page charge sheet against Adv. Aires Rodrigues under Sections 354 (A) (IV), 509, 201 & 203 of IPC. Interestingly the statement of Vinod Paliencar was not recorded nor was he cited as a witness in the case. The trial commenced on 5th January 2021 and over the two years with 40 hearings the Prosecution examined 14 of the 19 witnesses mentioned in the charge sheet with most of them turning hostile.
Meanwhile, the trial of Shreha Dhargalkar and three others charge-sheeted for having on 27th November 2017 trespassed into the Ribandar office of Adv. Aires Rodrigues is scheduled to start on 25th January before Panaji Chief Judicial Magistrate Ram Prabhudesaai. This case was also investigated by then Crime Branch Inspector Dattaguru Sawant.
