SIT officers are on duty for Lusofonia Games: Police
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Investigations into all mining cases being investigated by Goa Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) have slowed down as its officers are deployed for Lusofonia Games duty, the police claimed Monday.
The SIT headed by Deputy Inspector of Police K K Vyas was formed after a complaint was filed by the Mines Department in July 2013. It had begun its investigations soon after that into nine mining related offences including the Rs 35,000 illegal mining scam.
“Our team members are on duty for Lusofonia Games till January 29, when the event will end. Soon thereafter, we will continue the investigations,” Vyas told reporters.
With most of the documents and materials related to the cases already submitted by the Department of Mines and Geology to SIT, it is now awaiting a response from the government on its proposal for a legal assistant and chartered accountants to assist them during the course of the investigations. The government had announced appointing a panel of chartered accountants to scrutinise the records and find out illegalities of the last more than six years. A proposal in this regard was sought, which was submitted later.
“The proposal is under consideration,” he said.
The details of extraction, storage and trade till September 2012 when mining was stopped on court direction following allegation of illegalities, information regarding production, export, purchase of ore, domestic sale, iron ore storage, opening and closing stock, clearances from Ministry of Environment and Forest, Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) among others which the Mines Department had sought from mining lease holders and traders, have been reportedly submitted to the SIT.
The Mines Department attached with the complaint, reports of the Supreme Court’s appointed CEC, Justice MB Shah inquiry Commission and Goa Legislative Assembly’s PAC. The government thereafter formed the SIT to investigations the mega scam.
Our team members are on duty for Lusofonia Games till January 29, when the event will end. Soon thereafter, we will continue the investigations, Vyas told reporters
