PANJIM: The Bombay High Court at Goa has directed the Additional Sessions Court, Margao to expedite the trial against Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho and others in the infamous 2001 multi-crore power rebate case as fast as possible and to conclude the recording of evidence by January 15 next year.
Additional Sessions Judge Vincent D’Silva has been nominated as special designated Judge to try criminal cases registered in the year 2001 pending before the court.
The Division Bench comprising Justice Sadhana Jadhav and Justice Manish Pitale has also asked the special designated court to give the progress report in respect of the proceedings of the trial to the High Court after every three months.
The High Court passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation writ petition filed by RTI activist Sudip Tamhankar.
Tamhankar approached the court praying for speedy trial of the case after the Supreme Court disposed five criminal appeals filed by the accused in January 2018 holding that there was no illegality in the order passed by the High Court.
Earlier, in October 2017, the High Court discharged the charges framed under some Sections but held that there is prima facie material to frame charges against all the accused under Sections 13 (1) (d) (i) and 13 (1) (d) (ii) of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 read with Section 120-B of Indian Penal Code.
According to the petitioner, the Goa government issued a notification dated June 27, 1998, providing 25 per cent rebate to all industrial units who had applied for high tension (HT) and low tension power (LT) supply. The industries were eligible for concessional tariff from the date on which the supply of electricity was made available.
Current Minister Mauvin Godinho was the Power Minister when the notification was issued. Besides Godinho, former chief electrical engineer Nagarajan and eight others including management of some industries have been named as accused. However, Nagarajan died since then.
The complaint was filed by former Chief Minister late Manohar Parikar in May 1998, while he was in the opposition. He had alleged that the notification was issued and power rebate was given to the industrial units without seeking approval of the State cabinet.
After Parrikar became the Chief Minister in October 2000, the Crime Branch registered the case and in May 2001 arrested Godinho and others in the alleged Rs 9 crore power rebate scam to industrial units.
Welcoming the High Court’s order, RTI activist Sudip Tamhankar said that it is a good whip against Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, who allegedly received “bribes” then and still continues collecting “haftas” in the transport department. He said that he was compelled to approach the High Court since the BJP government was trying to stifle the case after Godinho embraced the BJP.
Tamhankar said that he wrote twice to the Special Designated Court, Mapusa to expedite the case but in vain. He said that he has full faith in the Judiciary.
