Goemkarponn Desk
MAPUSA: Additional Court at Mapusa today has adjourned hearing in the Panaji Police Station Case. The matter has now been fixed to 28 February for appearance.
During hearing, advocates for Babush and Jennifer Monserrate filed exemption for duo which was granted.
Panaji MLA Babush Monserrate and Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate are the main accused in the case which had been pending in the High Court for the last seven years. If convicted they could face a jail term of up to ten years.
The charge sheet against the Monserrates and 35 others was filed in 2014 by the CBI. One of the accused Chandan Karapurkar has since passed away.
Justice Manish Pitale of the Bombay High Court at Goa on 22nd December in a 31 paged judgment while dismissing the applications seeking quashing of the proceedings directed that the trial should commence and be expedited as there was prima facie evidence against the accused.
In a letter petition to the Administrative Judge of the High Court on 9th November it was pointed out by Adv. Aires Rodrigues that the Supreme Court being concerned about the criminalization of politics had directed that the criminal cases against politicians should be fast tracked but that it had not happened in Goa at least in the Panaji Police Station attack case in which Babush Monserrate and his wife Jennifer stand charge sheeted by the CBI for having on 19th February 2008 attacked and damaged the Panaji Police Station.
