PANAJI
Special Investigation Team (SIT Mining) has filed a 700-page provisional chargesheet in the main case against 16 accused including former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat after investigating the illegal condonation of delay in renewal of mining lease application of Kadnekar mine.
The SIT chargesheet has listed offences which include theft of iron, criminal conspiracy and wrongful loss to state exchequer to the tune of Rs 135 crore. SIT is presently investigating further into illegalities with respect to Kadnekar mine.
As per the chargesheet, which lists 25 witnesses, former Mines Minister Kamat condoned the delay in renewal of Kadnekar mine lease by overruling observations of two IAS officers. The two IAS officers had communicated that the State govt had no powers to condone delay as per law.
The chargesheet states that taking advantage of the alleged illegal condonation, Margao-based Kadnekar family entered into an agreement with Magnum Minerals thereby transferring the rights of lease without any approval of State and central government and allowed the company to mine iron ore at Quepem.
SIT has claimed that the said company was formed with the specific purpose of extracting iron ore.
The investigating team has also sought the services of a chartered accountant, whose report suggests that as per the figures obtained from Kadnekar mines, State exchequer has sustained a loss of Rs 135 crore. The SIT is presently looking deeper into this aspect to ascertain the total extraction of iron ore by conducting a detailed survey at Kadnekar mine.
