Team Herald
PANJIM: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) raided the office of Arjun Salgaocar of Salgaocar Mining Industries Ltd on Saturday, in connection with the probe into the multi-crore mining scam. The raid went on for over six hours with sources claiming that the sleuths seized relevant documents for investigation purposes.
Salgaocar has been granted interim anticipatory bail. He had moved the district court seeking anticipatory bail a day after SIT officials picked him up from his office and took him to Crime Branch for questioning, last week. Sources said that no sooner questioning began, Salgaocar complained of chest pain. “We called the ambulance and shifted him to Goa Medical College. He had high blood pressure. He was thereafter shifted to Manipal hospital,” an official said.
SIT is currently questioning directors of mining companies that have come under the scanner for illegal mining, pointed out through reports by Justice M B Shah Commission, Central Empowered Commission of Supreme Court and Public Account Committee.
Arjun and brother Sameer, also directors of S Kantilal and Company Pvt Ltd, were last year chargesheeted in another mining case and the 800-page indictment accused them of allegedly violating the Forest Act and indulging in illegal mining. The case against them was registered on September 15, 2014 following a complaint by Mines Director Prasanna Acharya.
As per the complaint, the brothers along with Joaquim Alemao and others, allegedly illegally extracted iron ore at Asni Dongor, Curdi and Kurpem in Sanguem between 2006 and 2011. The brothers were granted anticipatory bail in this case on October 9, 2015.
