Team Herald
PANJIM: Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has time until August 19 before the court will decide on his bail application.
As arguments on Kamat’s bail plea ended, Special Public Prosecutor G D Kirtani said, “I have absolutely clinching evidence against you (Kamat). The witnesses (not arrested) have clearly deposed they visited your Margao residence at 10.30 pm and later official residence to deliver the money.” He further commented saying that Kamat’s were mere ‘crocodile tears’.
Earlier, senior counsel Surendra Desai, appearing for Kamat, requested the special court to consider the background in which the accused persons deposed before the judicial magistrate.
Arguing on Kamat’s bail plea, he said, “It is not a normal thing in which Section 164 CrPC statements are recorded. It is suspicious that their confessional statements are recorded after being remanded to judicial custody… consider their statement independently if there is pressure (mounted on them) to give confessional statement,” Desai told the court on Friday.
He was quick to state that he was not casting aspersions on the court when Special Judge B P Deshpande questioned whether he was challenging the court order. “Are you challenging the court order? You are casting aspersions on the court (on remanding accused to judicial custody),” he said.
“I am not casting aspersions… I am just requesting to consider the conduct of the accused persons whose statements were recorded before judicial magistrate… if they are suspicious,” Desai said.
Kirtani clarified that none of the seven persons have made statements under pressure and added that witnesses – Sanjay Jindal, Shiv Ram Prasad Malladi, Prasanna Shah and Mukesh Bharati – were never arrested. While reserving the order for verdict on August 19, the court asked the investigating agency to submit the case diary that contained every details of the case investigation including depositions before the judicial magistrate.
