NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The then mines director J Bhingui has given statement against former chief minister Digambar Kamat as well as former mines department official A T D’Souza in connection with the multi-crore mining scam being probed by the special investigating team.
Sources said that Bhingui’s statements have been recorded before a magistrate under Section 164 of CrPC.
Bhingui said that Kamat had asked him to clear the files pertaining to renewal of mining leases (condonation of delay). And when he had put noting ‘as may be decided’ Kamat called him at the Secretariat asking not to put such comments, the sources said.
Bhingui has also said the then senior technical assistant D’Souza had a major role in handling all files related to mining leases, the sources said.
Bhingui was questioned last month by the SIT in connection with the case, and during this time he received a call from a close aide of Kamat asking to meet the Margao MLA. However, Bhingui refused to meet the former chief minister, the sources claimed.
Kamat and D’Souza, who had been questioned by the SIT, have approached court seeking anticipatory bail. The matter has been scheduled for May 12.
This is the main case in which the SIT has been examining around 183 mining leases pertaining to renewal and other alleged illegalities.
The police have also questioned former directors of the mines department.
The FIR was registered in 2013 based on a complaint filed by the mines department, which had factored in reports of the Shah Commission, the public accounts committee and the central empowered committee.
The SIT, which was formed by the government in 2013 to probe mining illegalities, so far has filed chargesheets in six cases while investigation has been on in five others.