PANJIM: After a string of adjournments, the Supreme Court finally began hearing Goa Crime Branch’s (CB) application seeking quashing of the anticipatory bail granted to former chief minister Digambar Kamat, a prime suspect in the Louis Berger bribery case.
However, the final hearing, which was to conclude on Wednesday, was adjourned to next month after Kamat’s counsel and former Union minister Kapil Sibal sought time.
In an hour-long argument, Assistant Solicitor General of India Advocate Tushar Mehta accused Kamat of accepting Rs 1.20 crore as kickbacks from the LB officials in 2010-11. He substantiated his argument to nine confessional statements recorded before the judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure besides the investigation establishing his involvement in the crime.
The government counsel had to also reply to several clarifications raised by the bench during the hearing, including the mention of case diaries.
The special leave application filed in the last week of October 2015 has seen six adjournments. The case that was listed for final hearing at the admission stage was not taken up for hearing until Wednesday.
The matter has now been listed for hearing on March 3 with sources claiming the government would again present its say clarifying queries raised by the Apex Court.
