TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Suspended Director of Mines and Geology Department Arvind Lolienkar has been questioned by the sleuths of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), investigating the massive mining scam.
Lolienkar, who was the first officer to come under the scanner in April 2012 for his alleged involvement in the Rs 35,000-crore scam was summoned at least three to four times in the last few days, a senior officer told Herald.
“Lolienkar will be called again for questioning since he headed the department during the period when the alleged illegalities and irregularities were carried out,” he said.
The officer also said that other suspended officers would be questioned in the next couple of days after issuing formal summons.
Six mines department officials were suspended on September 7, 2012. One among them assistant geologist Dattatraya Bhave committed suicide by hanging himself days later. He was handling the granting of NOCs for export at the mines department.
The sleuths will also examine files from the department. Many had been shifted to an undisclosed destination under strict police security as a precautionary measure on August 14, 2012.
Also mines officials had told media that many of the records were digitised.
These files contain documents such as various NOCs and royalty challans issued to the traders and exporters since 2009. The then Digambar Kamat-led government had made NOCs mandatory for all the iron ore that is shipped from both Goa’s ports.
Mines Director Prasanna Acharya had lodged a complaint based on the findings of the Justice MB Shah Commission, Central Empowered Committee and Public Accounts Committee on illegal mining in Goa before the Crime Branch in July. A case was then registered.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar subsequently announced formation of SIT under DIG K K Vyas to probe the case.
Lolienkar, who was the first officer to come under the scanner in April 2012 for his alleged involvement in the Rs 35,000-crore scam was summoned at least three to four times in the last few days, a senior officer told Herald
