PANAJI
Tightening the noose around the accused in the over Rs 100 crore share market scam, the Goa government has ordered the attachment of seven properties belonging to absconding prime accused Myron Rodrigues and his wife, Deepali Parab in Goa and Maharashtra.
The order also froze Rs 44.46 lakh approx across bank accounts with all these properties to be transferred to the district administration in South Goa till further orders.
Myron, who is absconding, and his wife Deepali – currently in judicial custody -- are among several persons booked by the Economic Offenses Cell under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Sections 3 and 5 of the Goa Protection of Interests of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act, 1999.
According to the Finance Department’s order, the attachment is meant to prevent the properties from being lost or hidden and ensure the cheated depositors can possibly get their money back.
“The Government hereby passes an ad-interim order for attachment of property along with bank deposits... till further orders and transfer the control over the said properties in the name of Additional Collector South, Competent Authority under Goa Protection of Interests of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act, 1999, with direction to take further necessary action,” reads the order while accepting the recommendation from the EOC.
The assets now placed under government control include seven residential properties in Goa, Mumbai, Thane and Pune. In Goa, these include the Villa at Nuvem and an apartment in Cortalim. The couple’s second villa at Fatorda, Margao, is also under attachment. In Mumbai, two flats in Wadala have been seized, as well as two flats in Kalyan in Thane and Lavasa in Pune.
The government has also ordered the transfer of the seized bank accounts in the name of the additional district collector until further orders. In the name of Myron Rodrigues, five accounts holding balances of Rs 67,993, Rs 319, Rs 33,411, Rs 7,168 and Rs 85,869 have been frozen. In the name of Deepali, accounts containing Rs 1,85,284, Rs 2,22,677 and Rs 5,941 have been attached. Separately, three accounts held in Deepali’s name have been found with deposits of Rs 26,459, Rs 10,92,379, Rs 21,84,757 and Rs 5,46,184.
The EOC had recently filed a chargesheet against the two investment fraudsters for allegedly cheating a local senior citizen Ivon Suresh Joaquim Almeida of Rs 1.19 crore. The Crime Branch is investigating another case involving Myron, his ex-wife Sunita Rodrigues, Deepali and five other accomplices -- Nolan Lawrence Antao, Joaquim Rosario Pires, Vijay Dattatray Joil, Navnik Mario Pereira and Sushant Manohar Ghodge. Sunita who was arrested on December 7, 2024 was released on conditional bail after 20 days. The others are yet to be arrested.
A Blue Notice has already been issued against Myron and a Red Corner Notice is expected shortly.
