the goan I network
PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa will examine whether the Government of Goa has violated its orders in granting a licence for the sixth casino to operate in the River Mandovi MV San Domino which is operated in the name of Maharaja Casino.
On July 12, 2017 while hearing a petition filed by one Dr Aquaviva Fernandes, the Bombay High Court had by an ad interim order ruled that the Goa Government “shall not grant permissions for Casino license during the pendency of the above petition in the river without seeking permission of this Court.”
Alleging contempt, Dr Fernandes filed a contempt petition before the Bombay High Court at Goa pointing out that the Government did not specifically seek the court’s permission before granting the licence.
The Advocate General, however, told the court that the vessel in question had valid licenses and it was being simply renewed by the action complained of by the Petitioner.
The State was in fact under obligation to renew the licenses in view of the orders passed by this Court and the renewal is prior to the order of this Court, the Advocate General stated.
The Court was however unimpressed. “Propriety required that the application should have been made to this Court in the pending petition,” the court ruled.
The State then told the court it will file an application “placing on record the material as to why a decision of grant of license to the vessel in question for operating in river Mandovi is warranted in the facts and circumstances of the case.”
