Former Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar today failed to appear before the Lokayukta in connection with a complaint filed over the renewal of mining leases in the state.
Parsekar's lawyer submitted a written statement before the Lokayukta, Justice (retd) P K Misra, in which the former CM informed that he could not remain present for the deposition as he was busy with the wedding preparations of his daughter.
Parsekar's daughter is getting married on Tuesday.
An NGO, Goa Foundation, had filed a complaint with the Lokayukta alleging that the renewal of 88 mining leases in the state between November 1, 2014 and January 12, 2015 appeared to be the result of "corrupt acts".
The complaint named Parsekar, then Goa Mines Secretary Pawan Kumar Sain and current Director of Mines and Geology Prasanna Acharya and had demanded that they be charged under section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Supreme Court had quashed these mining leases, with an annual production capacity of 44 million tonnes, on February 7 this year.
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