Pandurang Madkaikar seeks further time in disproportionate assets case against him

Goa Lokayukta Justice P.K. Misra today adjourned to 10^th January the detailed investigation into the disproportionate assets case filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues against former Power Minister and Cumbarjua MLA Pandurang Madkaikar.  Adv. Pankaj Vernekar appearing for Mr. Madkaikar once again sought further time to file his additional comments.

After holding a preliminary inquiry the Lokayukta in his order on 17^th September had held that reasonable grounds exist for conducting a detailed investigation while also observing that after going through all the material on record it cannot be said that the complaint filed by Adv. Rodrigues is frivolous or vexatious. The Lokayukta also directed that the Law Secretary be impleaded as a party and that a copy of the complaint filed by Adv. Rodrigues be also forwarded to the Chief Minister.

Adv. Rodrigues on 7^th June last year filed a complaint with the Lokayukta over the inaction of the Anti- Corruption Branch (ACB) in probing the complaint filed by him against Pandurang Madkaikar.

Pointing out that Pandurang Madkaikar’s Nikitasha Realtors Pvt Ltd had on 1^st April last year inaugurated a huge palacial bungalow at Old Goa estimated to have cost around a whopping 200 crores, Adv. Aires Rodrigues in his complaint had demanded that the ACB register an FIR under Sections 13(1) (d) & (e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and Section 120-B of Indian Penal Code against Pandurang Madkaikar and his wife Janita Madkaikar the Sarpanch of Old Goa and to speedily investigate the case.

Adv. Rodrigues along with his complaint gave the ACB photographs of the bungalow and a copy of the Affidavit dated 13^th January 2017 filed by Pandurang Madkaikar along with his nomination papers at the 2017 Assembly Elections. Adv. Rodrigues drew the attention of the ACB that in his Income-tax returns for the financial year 2015-16 Pandurang Madkaikar had shown his total income for the year as a mere Rs 1,44,389 and that of his wife Janita, a paltry sum of  Rs 24,389.

Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint stated that amongst his other liabilities and dues Pandurang Madkaikar had shown a Personal loan of 10 lakhs he had taken from Shiv Samarth Motors owned by former Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte and another Personal loan of 5 lakhs obtained from his brother Dhaku Madkaikar. Adv. Rodrigues further stated that amongst Janita Madkaikar’s other liabilities and dues, was a Personal loan of 10 lakhs she had obtained from Rajesh Khaunte the brother of Rohan Khaunte and another Personal loan of Rs 6, 24, 361 she got from her husband Pandurang Madkaikar.

Stating that a perusal of the Affidavit of  assets and liabilities filed  by Pandurang Madkaikar evidently reveals that the construction of the new palacial bungalow at Old Goa was  clearly disproportionate to the known source of income of Pandurang Madkaikar his wife Janita,  Adv. Rodrigues also drew the attention of the ACB that Pandurang Madkaikar had in his affidavit shown that he owned  only one residential building  at Old Goa  in Survey No. 143/1 with the plot admeasuring 875 sq mts and the total built-up area 580.7 sq mts  valued at Rs. 69,68,400/.