PANJIM: The special court has asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Goa Police to give a 48-hour advance notice to mine owner and politician Prafulla Hede, in case of his arrest in the illegal mining scam.
While granting him anticipatory bail, the court also directed Hede to cooperate with the investigation and appear before the investigating officer as and when summoned.
Hede is charged with illegally running a mine at Collem between 1988 and 2007 wherein the lease’s renewal was allegedly executed by illegally condoning the delay. As per the investigation carried out so far, the State government during this period had condoned, without any authority to do so, the leaseholder’s delay in filing for renewal of the mining lease.
Apprehending arrest, the mine owner had moved the special court seeking anticipatory bail in August.
Based on a complaint filed by Mines Director Prasanna Acharya, the SIT on September 19, 2014 registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Hede and others for the offence.
The complaint mentioned that the mine owner had carried out operations in Title of Concession No 30/1950 through illegal condonation of delay given by a public servant/government official in that period, which was in violation of Section 19 of the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
