PANJIM: In what can suit a Bollywood potboiler, Crime Branch’s (CB) application challenging anticipatory bail to former chief minister Digambar Kamat has run into “tarikh pe tarikh” with the agency foreseeing no immediate hearing of the case.
In the last three-and-a-half months since the special leave petition (SLP) was filed before the Supreme Court (SC), CB has seen six adjournments despite being allotted a date for the final hearing. As a result of the frequent adjournments, CB is not only losing time, and probably additional evidence against the ‘prime conspirator’ of Louis Berger bribery case, it has led to wasted trips to the SC.
What’s unfortunate is that the Supreme Court has of late had many vacations, resulting in further adjournments.
“When our SLP was admitted, the court went on Diwali vacation and then came the New Year holiday. It was also closed for Republic Day and now, Holi vacation is fast approaching. On other days, when our matter would come on board for hearing, it would be adjourned for other reasons,” a senior officer said without any offence to the court.
A two-member team of SP Kartik Kashyap and PI Dattaguru Sawant had cracked the case after conducting a fast-track and comprehensive investigation. It led to the arrests of high-profile persons such as former PWD minister Churchill Alemao, JICA Chief Anand Wachasundar and alleged hawala operator Raichand Soni among others.
Seven persons were charged in the case, including the US firm within two months of registering an FIR in July 2015. Kamat was identified as a ‘suspect’ and ‘prime conspirator’ backed by evidence against him. CB assured to file a supplementary charge-sheet soon subject to Kamat’s custodial interrogation but this remains a distant dream considering the number of adjournments the SLP has had in the highest court of the country.
Sources said that despite direct evidence pointing at Kamat’s involvement in the bribery scam, the special court followed by the High Court of Bombay at Goa granted him anticipatory bail. “The courts applied illogical judgments while granting him anticipatory bail. There are nine statements, on oath, recorded before the judicial magistrate clearly accusing him of demanding and accepting the (Rs 1.20 crore) bribe (in different installments). When even regular bail pleas of other accused were cancelled, it is surprising that he (Kamat) was granted interim relief,” the source said.
Kamat is a strong believer in God, and CB wonders whether he is really being protected by the Almighty or someone else is doing so. The senior Congress leader preferred to skip the monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly (in 2015) on being summoned for the probe but instead visited temples and attended ‘pujas’ regularly.
“It is certainly discouraging that when we have put in all the hard work, this is what we are rewarded with. Our probe is not shooting at anyone in the dark,” the officer said adding, “We will once again pray before the SC bench for an immediate hearing of the matter.”
During its previous hearing in December 2015, the CB had urged for an early date after which the Chief Justice of India reserved the matter for final hearing on January 21, 2016. But with the concerned judge going on leave, the case was pushed to February 9 only to see another adjournment.
Interestingly, while CB officials are spending from their pocket to make their appearance in Delhi, Kamat’s counsel and Congress’ former minister Kapil Sibal has appeared only thrice so far. “There is no cost to justice even if we have to spend Rs 10 crore. But a message should be out that even a mighty cannot be let away,” the officer justified adding that two travel bills were recently approved by the government for reimbursement.
SP Crime Branch Kartik Kashyap declined to offer any comments when contacted by Herald. “We have full faith in the judiciary and law will take its own course,” was what he said when asked to react on the constant delay at SC.
