Timing of ACB action suspicious: AAP Goa CM face

AAP’s Chief Ministerial nominee for next year’s Goa Assembly polls, Elvis Gomes on Friday dubbed as suspicious the timing of the ACB issuing summons against him in connection with a land grab case. 

“Look at the timing when summons are issued. Anyone can understand why summons were sent,” Gomes, former IGP (Prisons) told reporters.

Gomes was declared as the CM face by AAP national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on December 19. 

Gomes said he would anyway appear before concerned Investigating Officer (IO) and is not afraid of any inquiry.

“The case filed against me is false. They are trying to paint me with different brush but that paint will not stick on me,” he said. Gomes and former Tourism Minister Nilkant Halarnkar were booked by the ACB in June this year for their alleged involvement in the case. The FIR against them mentions the duo was part of the Goa State Housing Board and allegedly acquired 30,000 sq metres of land and changed its ‘zoning’ to benefit the original land owner.

Gomes said he was not involved in any decision-making process related to the land.

“I have not played any role in the land conversion as I was posted as Managing Director of Housing board, two months after the decision was taken,” he said. Latching on to the development, the ruling BJP today said Kejriwal’s “lie” has been exposed after the ACB summons.