PANAJI
Special Investigation Team (Mining) of Goa Police continues to grope in the dark with former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat doing a disappearing act evidently in an attempt to evade arrest.
Sources from the SIT informed that it has searched every location where Kamat is likely to be found even as his whereabouts remain unknown to the police.
SIT conducted a search at Kamat's Margao residence on Saturday with the intention to place him under arrest for custodial interrogation. However, SIT members returned empty-handed as Kamat was unavailable at his home and the house was locked.
Meanwhile, Kamat has moved an anticipatory bail application before the Special Court, Panaji in this matter. The Court is scheduled to hear his anticipatory bail application on Monday.
As per the FIR booked against Hede in September 2014, he allegedly operated a mining lease at TC (title of concession) no. 30/1950 in Collem village of Sanguem taluka between 1988 and 2007 following the unauthorized condonation of the delay in lease renewal. The complaint states that the State government official in question did not have the authority to condone the delay in renewal of the mining lease and had therefore, acted in violation of the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. Earlier this week, former principal secretary Rajiv Yaduvanshi in his magisterial statement declared that it was on the instructions of then mines minister Kamat that he followed a wrong procedure in condoning the delay in filing of over 40 mining lease renewal applications during his tenure.
While this probe continues, Kamat has also been summoned to appear before the SIT for questioning on Tuesday in connection with the Rs 35,000 crore illegal mining scam.
