Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's son Abhijat Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that a PIL accusing him of destroying forest area for his eco-tourism project was "politically motivated".
The public interest litigation, filed by local residents Abhijit Satyavan Desai and Prakash Bhagat, alleges rampant destruction of forest, especially in the notified eco-sensitive zone adjoining the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary in Netravali village in Sanguem taluka, by the Hideaway Hospitality, a company owned by Abhijat.
The matter came up for hearing Tuesday before the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court. A division bench comprising Justices R D Dhanuka and Prithviraj Chavan heard the case.
"I say that the present PIL is a politically-motivated petition and has been filed on the eve of elections to get political mileage in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. The petition smacks of malice," Abhijat said in his submission to court.