PANJIM: In a bid to fast track illegal mining cases, the State government has set up a Special Court in Margao and appointed Additional Session Judge – Margao, Edgar Fernandes as the judge of the special court.
Mines Director Prasanna Acharya has issued a notification in this regard under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act 1957 (MMDR).
“Government of Goa hereby constitutes the Court of District Judge -I and Additional Session at South Goa, Margao as a Special Court for the whole of the State of Goa, for speedy trial of offences for contravention of the provisions of sub-section (I) or sub-section (IA) of section 4 of the MMDR Act,” the notification stated.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Crime Branch is investigating over dozen of cases of which one main case pertaining to 88 leases is yet to be chargesheeted.
Former chief minister and mines minister Digambar Kamat has been named as the main accused in the case.
It might be recalled that the mining leases in the State were halted by the Supreme Court on March 16 last year.
