TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Goa Police made a second arrest in the illegal mining, involving high-profile persons including top politicians and officials. Prashant Sahoo, originally from Nagpur was arrested from his Dona Paula residence, for allegedly selling sub-standard ore without the knowledge of Kadnekar mine in Quepem taluka.
He is also charged with impersonating as an Union Revenue Secretary.
The first to be arrested was Gujarati trader Subroto Barok. The case is being probed by a Special Investigation Branch (SIT) of Crime Branch.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Nilu Raut Desai informed that he was wanted in a case filed by Commisionerate of Income Tax at Panjim police station, which was subsequently transferred to SIT.
“He (Sahoo) was the power of attorney for Magnum Minerals Pvt Ltd and also the raising contractor for Kadnekar Mine. He had also impersonated as a Union Revenue Secretary, ordered a raid on Kadnekar mine and sent a fake text message to an Income Tax officer in this regard,” Desai told Herald.
On tracing the mobile number, the IT official found that the number belonged to Sahoo after which a complaint was filed against him.
As per the complaint, Sahoo, whose remand and bail application will be heard on Monday, had not only violated the agreement terms and conditions of Kadnekar mine but also sold iron ore of below 50 percent-grade without the knowledge of the company.
Desai said Sahoo’s involvement in the other nine illegal mining cases will also be probed.
SIT team comprising PIs Narayan Chimulkar and Rahul Parab, and constable Umesh Desai on Wednesday, arrested Barok from Gujarat hotel room and brought him to Goa on transit remand Friday afternoon.
He has been remanded to four-day police custody for interrogation. Barok is booked on charges of exporting 1.35 lakh metric tonnes ore from Goa port to China on forged NOCs in 2010-11.
