Criminal plaint lodged with Crime Branch
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Department of Mines and Geology lodged a criminal complaint on illegal mining with the Crime Branch (CB) Friday. The 30-page complaint to which was attached the Justice (retd) MB Shah Commission and the Public Accounts Committee report, making 1000-odd page file, filed by Mines Director Prasanna Acharya does not carry any names and is based on the Shah report, the PAC report and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) findings.
Asked specifically whether any politician or mines officials are named in the complaint, Acharya said, “No individual has been named in the complaint. Wherever there are instances (of any involvement of anybody), we have referred it for detailed investigation.”
The complete set of the complaint was thereafter forwarded to higher ups at police headquarters. Deputy Inspector General of Police OP Mishra told reporters that a proper verification will be carried out.
“It is a voluminous complaint…any action will be decided after proper verification,” he said at a press briefing later in the evening. A case will be registered thereafter.
“Government sometime back took a decision that matters which are highlighted in the CEC, Shah Commission and PAC report be referred for investigations,” Acharya told media while coming out of the Crime Branch office at Dona Paula after filing the complaint.
“As far as criminal aspects are concerned, we have submitted all the documents along with our complaint,” he added.
The director remained tight-lipped when questioned whether more complaints would follow in connection with the case.
SP Crime Branch, O P Kurtarkar and other senior officers at this unit are assigned to conduct a thorough study of the complaint and document annexed to the complaint copy.
