Silence is golden, but not always. I am reminded of those words of Muhammad Ali “Silence is golden when you cant think of a good answer”. The stoic quietness by Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly Rajendra Arlekar on the serious allegations of disproportionate assets against him is deafening. The Speaker needs to speak out. He can either defend his case or confess his guilt. The choice is yours Mr. Speaker. You have been silent so also your wife Anagha Deshpande Arlekar who is otherwise a teacher. This whole saga must be a huge embarrassment and heartburn to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Goa of which Rajendra Arlekar is a staunch pillar. This saffron brigade which otherwise claims purity and high values in public life stands exposed if the allegations against the now speechless Speaker Rajendra Arlekar are true. Judge Anuja Prabhudessai of the Special Court under the Prevention of Corruption Act has summoned Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) Superintendent of Police Bosco George to appear before her on 4th February in connection with the petition seeking directions to the ACB to immediately register an F.I.R. against Speaker of Goa Assembly Rajendra Arlekar in the disproportionate assets case. By a sale deed dated 26th August last year Speaker Rajendra Arlekar purchased from a Delhi based journalist Dharmanand Kamat the 500 sq mt plot at Porvorim on a payment of Rs 72 lakhs and that sale deed does not reveal the mode of payment as to whether the amount paid by Rajendra Arlekar was in cash, cheque or draft. Besides the 72 lakhs Rajendra Arlekar also paid an amount of Rs 2,52,000 towards stamp duty and a further Rs 2,16,280 as registration and processing fees of that Sale deed. This purchase of the plot by Rajendra Arlekar for 72 lakhs is clearly disproportionate to his last known source of income as on the 9th of February 2012 in an affidavit he had shown his income for the year 2010-2011 as Rs 2,76,671 and that of his wife Anagha Deshpande Arlekar as Rs 5,87,186. Despite all the political pressure being exerted to hush up the case, the ACB would be compelled to get to the bottom of this trail. But for now, nobody would no better than Rajendra and Anagha from where those 72 lakhs have flowed. Speaker Sir, is your mysterious silence an admission of guilt?
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 06:04:21 +0000
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