Rupesh Samant

Panaji, Jun 12: Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik on Wednesday appeared before Panaji Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Artikumari Naik and deposed as witness in a cheating case filed against his alleged former staff.

In November last year Mervin Fernandes represented by Adv Aires Rodrigues initiated criminal proceedings against former staff of Naik, Vinod Desai after being duped on a promise of a government job.

Rodrigues submitted to the Court that the accused is a resident of 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.

Desai while claiming to be working for Shripad Naik had promised Mervin Fernandes a government job at the Secretariat on payment of six lac and had taken an advance of Rs two lac.

Having failed to secure the job, Fernandes demanded a refund. Desai on June 28 issued him a cheque of Rs one lac as part refund, but that cheque bounced.

On September 20, last year Feranndes lodged a complaint at the Old Goa Police Station and Desai on being summoned handed over a cheque of Rs three lac as full and final settlement, but that cheque also bounced after which the Old Goa Police on September 25 registered an FIR of cheating against Desai under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code.

On being summoned by the JMFC to testify and give material evidence on what he knew about the case, Shripad Naik in his deposition today stated that he knows the accused Vinod Desai for the last 10 to 15 years and that he sometimes used to visit his house, but was never employed by him though his father worked for him.

Naik further testified that his office on September 26, last year had written to the Old Goa Police Station that Desai was not their staff.