Panaji Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Artikumari Naik declared former Panaji MLA Sidharth Kuncalienkar as hostile while he was deposing as a witness in the cheque bouncing case filed by a Merces youth Mervin Fernandes represented by Adv. Aires Rodrigues against Vinod Desai who allegedly with the blessings of the BJP leaders duped a lot of job seekers while promising them government jobs.
After Sidharth Kuncalienkar deposed in Court that he does know Vinod Desai and that he can’t recollect having ever met him, Adv. Rodrigues submitted to the Court eight photographs of the accused Vinod Desai very closely interacting with then Panaji MLA Sidharth Kunkalienkar at BJP occasions while also informing the Court that Vinod Desai headed the party booth panel at Sao Pedro which forms part of the Panaji Assembly Constituency.
After perusing all the photographs, the JMFC in her order stated that as the photos depict that Sidharth Kuncalienkar was with the accused Vinod Desai and that as Sidharth Kuncalienkar had deposed that he did not know the accused Vinod Desai with that statement being contradictory, she while declaring the former Panaji MLA as hostile, allowed Adv. Aires Rodrigues to cross-examine him. The cross examination of Sidharth Kuncalienkar which began today will continue on November 25th.
Adv. Rodrigues pointed out to the Court that it was outrageous and unpardonable that Goa’s former law maker Sidharth Kuncalienkar was now caught red handed lying to the Court while deposing on Oath. Adv. Rodrigues further submitted that no Court could be a mere spectator to this.
Vinod Desai a resident of Old Goa while flaunting his close connection with BJP politicians reportedly over the last few years duped hundreds of young job seekers to the tune of crores of rupees. He posted on social media his picture in the company of politicians including late Manohar Parrikar and former Panaji MLA Sidharth Kunkalienkar.
Vinod Desai while allegedly working in the office of Union Minister Shripad Naik at Sao Pedro had promised Mervin Fernandes a government job at the Secretariat on payment of six lakhs and had taken an advance of two lakhs.
Having failed to secure the job Mervin Fernandes demanded a refund of the amount paid and after repeated reminders Vinod Desai on 28th June 2017 issued Mervin Fernandes a cheque of Rs one lakh as part refund but that cheque bounced.
On 20th September last year Mervin Fernandes lodged a complaint at the Old Goa Police Station and Vinod Desai on being summoned handover a cheque of Rs three lakhs as full and final settlement but that cheque also bounced after which the Old Goa Police on 25th September registered an F.I.R against Vinod Desai under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code.
In November last year Mervin Fernandes represented by Adv. Aires Rodrigues initiated criminal proceedings for cheque bouncing against Vinod Desai before the Panaji Court in which Union Minister Sripad Naik has already been examined as a witness and now Sidharth Kuncalienkar is under examination.
