PANJIM: The High Court (HC) of Bombay at Goa has directed the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) to reopen the four-year-old case of alleged food scam during the BRICS Summit. The direction comes following a petition filed by M/s Amonkar Classic Caterers before the division bench of Justices M S Sonak and Nutan Sardessai, challenging the show case notice issued by Superintendent of Police (SP), South Goa while arguing they were not heard by the GHRC.
The bench has asked the GHRC to give a hearing to the Bicholim based Caterers and directed it to appear before the Commission at 10:30am on March 2. The GHRC has also been asked to conclude the proceedings within three months.
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The GHRC on April 30, 2019, in its final order had directed the Director General of Police to impose appropriate penalty on Amoncar Classic Caterers while pointing out to Article 21 of the Constitution of India that provides every individual a right to life including right to live with decency and human dignity. The GHRC had also observed that on account of unhygienic food supplied to the police personnel during the 2016 BRICS summit there was a clear infringement of Article 21 thus violating the basic human rights of the police personnel to live with decency and human dignity.
The GHRC’s order came taking cognizance of a complaint filed by Advocate Aires Rodrigues, who alleged that the contract for a whopping Rs 51.60 lakh was given to Amoncar Classic Caterers without proper tender for supply of food to police personnel posted on duty for the BRICS summit. The contract, he said, was sub-let to a road side contractor who clandestinely prepared the food in an open space at Verna. “The labourers were involved in the cooking of meals in most unhygienic conditions with water – used for cooking – stored in open plastic barrels. With thick bushes, the insects and cockroaches found their way into the food served to the police personnel,” Rodrigues had stated.
The HC, in it is order on Tuesday, has also asked Rodrigues to remain present for the hearing before the GHRC on March 2.
South Goa SP had last year issued a show cause notice to the caterers as to why Rs 42, 21,420 claimed towards supply of food should not be forfeited for supplying unhygienic food to the police personnel.
