Team Herald
PANJIM: Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat failed to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Branch (CB) on Tuesday. He had been issued summons last week for questioning in the multi-crore mining scam.
The investigation team, headed by SP Priyanka Kashyap had scheduled his questioning at CB office, Ribandar at 11am. “He did not appear for the investigation today (Tuesday) and therefore, a fresh summons will be sent,” the officer told Herald.
Kamat claimed he was not in Goa and as such he could not remain present. “I am out of station. I will seek another date to appear for the probe,” he said in a telephonic chat with Herald. He, however, refused to state whether he had sent an advance written communiqué to CB informing of his absence. The criminal case pertains to the Justice M B Shah Commission report on illegal mining from 2005-2011. Although the voluminous report, running into over 1000 pages, had not named Kamat, it hinted that the former CM, who was also mines minister, allowed as well as shielded rampant illegalities. He was also accused of not taking any action to curb the illegalities and irregularities despite complaints.
Out of the 16 cases registered by SIT, a senior official said this was the only FIR based on the Justice Shah Commission report. “This is the lengthiest investigation comprising 182 mining leases. The FIR does not identify the accused. Every person being summoned for the probe is based on the findings and the period when the alleged illegalities/irregularities occurred,” he said. Of the total, three cases were reverted to respective local police stations, the SIT filed a chargesheet in six other cases.
This is not the first time that Kamat, who served 12 years as Mines minister, has skipped summons. In 2015, when CB was investigating the Louis Berger bribery scam, the Margao MLA had failed to respond to the first summons arguing he had not received any. Since the monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly was underway, CB had served summons through the Speaker.
