Mining scam: HC rejects plea to release bizman’s accounts

Panaji: The high court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday dismissed the petition filed by businessman Imran Khan for de-freezing bank accounts holding Rs 69 crore, which was frozen by the special investigation team (SIT) investigating into the alleged illegal mining case.
Speaking to TOI, public prosecutor S R Rivonkar said Khan’s application to de-freeze his bank account has been dismissed by the court. SIT, in its reply before the high court, had requested the court to reject Khan’s application for facilitating further investigation.

SIT, meanwhile, has written a letter to the directorate of mines and geology to recover the money and take legal action against the lessee of the mine as well as against Khan.

SIT said that the chargesheet will be filed soon after availing a detailed survey report about the total extraction of iron ore for the period 2006-2012 from the directorate of mines and geology.

In September 2017, SIT had arrested Khan, who they said was running a mine in Sanguem. A SIT senior officer had said Khan, a power of attorney holder of a mining lease in Sanguem, is accused of having fabricated the environmental clearance. After the Goa state pollution control board found out about the fabrication, the mining operation was suspended. SIT had said that Khan allegedly extracted iron ore amounting to crores of rupees specifically for the period 2007-2012 “under the blessings and acting as a proxy for an influential politician from Salcete”.

On August 19, 2013, the crime branch had registered a FIR against politicians, bureaucrats, mine owners, mines department officials and others identified in the three reports. The SIT was constituted on August 26, 2013, to investigate into the illegal mining cases and all illegal mining cases were transferred to the SIT.

Meanwhile, former CM Digambar Kamat was issued fresh summons by a Margao court for appearance in the Prafula Hede mining case matter.