Court summons Union minister Naik as witness in cheating case against former staffer

Panaji: A Goa court on Wednesday issued summons against Union minister and North Goa MP Shripad Naik directing him to depose as a witnesses in a cheating case registered against his former staffer last year.

Panaji Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Vijayalaxmi Shivolkar directed Naik to appear in person by June 3.

The JMFC also asked Naik to testify and bring material evidence, if any, on what he knows about the case.

The former staffer in question, Vinod Desai, was booked last year under section 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly demanding Rs six lakh from one Mervin Fernandes under the pretext of providing him a job in the Goa government.

Desai had allegedly taken an advance payment of Rs two lakh from Fernandes.

As Desai failed to keep his promise, Fernandes demanded refund of his money. However, the cheque of Rs one lakh issued by Desai bounced, following which Fernandes approached Old Goa police on September 20, 2018.

In the FIR, Naik is named as one of the five witnesses in the case.