PANJIM: Statements of witnesses and confessions by accused made before the Judicial Magistrate will be a part of the Louis Berger bribery case chargesheet that Crime Branch (CB) is expected to file before the chief judicial magistrate on September 28.
The chargesheet was earlier slated to be filed on Wednesday, a day before the stipulated 60-day period ends. With two public holidays coinciding with the weekend, CB has got additional time to prepare the charges.
“Since Thursday and Friday are public holidays, the courts are most likely to be closed. As per Supreme Court guidelines, the chargesheet can be filed on the next day when the court re-opens even after the deadline lapses. We have therefore decided to file it on Monday,” an officer told Herald.
The chargesheet, sources said, will contain statements of seven witnesses and accused made before the Judicial Magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure during the investigation.
“It will not carry all the investigation details. The investigation team has decided to produce only basic information related to the probe in the first chargesheet while the supplementary chargesheet will be voluminous,” he stated.
Former Louis Berger officials Sanjay Jindal and Shiv Ram Prasad Malladi, MD of Shah Consultancy Prasanna Shah, Mukesh Bharati, JICA PIO Udaykumar Mandevalkar and accused – former JICA project director Anand Wachasundar, former LB India Vice President Satyakam Mohanty, and alleged hawala operator Raichand Soni – are among those whose statements were recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC.
These statements are said to be crucial evidence against the main accused in the case and reveal that former chief minister Digambar Kamat and former PWD minister Churchill Alemao were allegedly paid by JICA.
While Wachasundar and Alemao continue to cool their heels in custody, the chargesheet will name them along with others as accused whereas Kamat’s name will figure in the supplementary chargesheet. The High Court of Bombay at Goa is presently hearing the CB application challenging the Special Court’s order granting Kamat anticipatory bail. Final arguments by the defense are scheduled on Wednesday.
