PANJIM: The Judicial Magistrate First Class at Panjim has directed the Panjim Police Inspector to register cases against the Congress and the BJP and to investigate the issue pertaining to their having received donations of Rs 5 crore each from Sesa Goa Ltd. which is a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, a UK based company, on grounds that it violates the Representation of People’s Act and the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.
“I find that it appears that Sesa Goa Ltd is a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources with its head office in the United Kingdom, I also find that political parties mentioned herein have received funding from this foreign company through its Indian subsidiaries. Prima facie, even the Election Commission of India has found this to be violative of the provisions of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951 and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 as replaced by Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010,” the order reads.
The police inspector of Panjim police station is directed
to register an FIR against the concerned political party within seven days of receipt of this order and report compliance of action taken,” the order issued on January 15 reads. According to legal opinion, the FIR will have to be filed against the presidents of the political parties concerned. Both the Congress and the BJP have been indicted for having received funds from Sesa Goa Ltd to the tune of at least Rs 5 crore each as stated in the complaint filed by Kashinath Shetye and others.
