The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Goa Police has booked Rane and his MLA
son Vishwajit Rane for allegedly accepting Rs 6 crore bribe from a mine owner to facilitate the clearance of a mining lease.
Rane has demanded that the complainant mine owner (Bhalchandra Naik) be investigated for illegal extraction of ore, as informed by him to the SIT and also the person (without naming) who tried to abet the illegality by trying to make it legal through granting him a mining lease.
“There are some cases filed against me. The FIR is also filed. I welcome the investigation against me. I will resign if I am found guilty,” Rane said, speaking in the House Thursday evening.
Rane, talking to reporters after the Assembly session, said he would resign as MLA if proven guilty.
The former chief minister said that the FIR should be properly investigated by the government. Rane also said that the State should have a proper Lokayukta in place so that the cases are investigated and justice is meted out to the people.
In a counter allegation against the mine owner Naik, Rane pointed out that the mine owner had told SIT that he extracted 60,000 million metric tonnes of ore, even as under the prospecting licence issued to him only 100 million metric tons of ore can be extracted.
“The entire case was nothing but revenge. CBI court has already taken a decision. Now let the government investigate it,” he said referring to the fact that CBI court has granted anticipatory bail to him and his son in the case.
The SIT had on July 3 registered a case against the duo for allegedly accepting the bribe three years ago.
