PANJIM/MARGAO: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Branch probing the illegal mining cases on Saturday swooped down on the residences of former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat in Margao, in a bid to arrest him.
The teams had to return empty handed as he was not found at his residence. Both of Kamat’s houses in Margao were found locked.
The search came a day after former Principal Mines Secretary Rajiv Yaduvanshi turned state approver and his statement was recorded before the magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Sources said that Yaduvanshi has named politicians as having pressurised him to take decisions that were not in the interest of the State.
SIT officials said that Kamat is required for police custodial interrogation which is why their officers searched his residence in Margao. SIT said Kamat was not traceable till late evening on Saturday.
Sources close to Kamat said that the MLA is at Shridi at the moment and is expected to return either on Monday or Tuesday.
It is learnt that as the court has not granted any interim relief to Kamat while fixing his bail application for hearing on Tuesday, the MLA feared that he may be arrested on Saturday and would have to spend the weekend in a lockup and that is the reason why he left Goa.
Local police refused to comment on the incident claiming to be totally ignorant about it as it was
conducted by the SIT.
Earlier in the day Kamat had filed for anticipatory bail before the Special Court in Panjim. The court did not grant him any interim relief and the hearing has been scheduled on November 21, the same day on which he has been summoned for questioning.
Yaduvanshi is being interrogated in the Praful Hede illegal mining lease renewal case in which Kamat and other Mines Department officers are allegedly linked. The Court has issued notices to the SIT of Crime Branch, that is investigating the case, which are returnable on Tuesday. The hearing is also scheduled on Tuesday morning.
Yaduvanshi is being quizzed in 40 cases of illegal condonation and other illegitimate mining that occurred during his tenure between 2006 and 2011. Kamat, who has served the longest as Mines minister – for 12 years – is being probed in nearly all the mining cases registered by SIT and has been summoned for questioning on November 21.
