Calangute Case

PANJIM: There are more than 60 to 70 cases filed prior to the year 2000 pending for final hearing in the High Court of Bombay at Goa.


The Division bench of Justice D B Bhosale and Justice NA Britto made this observation while rejecting an application filed by the panch member of Calangute, Joseph Sequeira for early hearing.


Sequeira had filed an application seeking for a direction to fix a preemptory date for the final hearing of a petition seeking direction to refrain Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch of Calangute village panchayat from posing or continuing to act as Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch of the village panchayat. As interim relief he had also prayed that the Sarpanch and deputy Sarpanch should be refrained from taking any major policy decision and from issuing any permission, NOC for construction within the limits of Calangute panchayat.


It must be recalled that the Court had earlier granted interim relief in the nature of restraining the Calangute Sarpanch and deputy Sarpanch from taking any decision involving financial implication as well as grant of license from construction activity, while admitting the petition. The Court had made rule returnable on November 21.


However, the matter didn't come up on the Board on November 21, 2007 and when the matter finally came up for final hearing a week later, it was shown at serial number 56. Therefore, the petitioner made an application praying to fix the preemptory date in view of the circumstance of the case, in as much as the minority group of the present Sarpanch and his deputy, was allegedly ruling the panchayat. Even the respondents didn't object to the early hearing of the petition.



But the Court rejected to entertain it, orally observing that it is not the question of opposition, but the question is whether we should give priority to the matter. The matter will now be heard on December 10, 2007.