Panaji Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Artikumari Naik has adjourned to June 12th the deposition of Union Ayush Minister Shripad Yesso Naik as he sought time to depose in Court as a witness in a cheating case filed against Vinod Desai who had posed to be his staff. Shripad Naik who was summoned by the JMFC to appear today at 10 am sent a written application seeking another date as he had to remain present in Delhi today in connection with the new Ministry in which he has been inducted last week.
Vinod Desai who in 2014 claimed to be working in the office of Shripad Naik at Sao Pedro had promised a Merces youth 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 Feranndes 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.
Adv. Rodrigues submitted to the Court that Vinod Desai a resident of Navelkar Estate at Old Goa while flouting his connection with politicians had over the last few years duped hundreds of young job seekers to the tune of crores of rupees. The JMFC summoned Shripad Naik to testify and give material evidence on what he knows about the case.
