HC to hear plea challenging Digambar's bail next Thu
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 20 August 2015 15:25 IST
Bombay high court at Goa will hear a petition challenging order of special court, granting bail to former chief minister Digambar Kamat, on 27 August.
The appeal challenging yesterday’s order of CBI court at Goa was challenged today by the crime branch of Goa police.
It was immediately taken up for hearing today afternoon in the court of Justice K L Wadane, to decide on admitting the petition.
The lawyer of crime branch initially tried to get a stay order on granting anticipatory bail to Kamat.
However, Kamat’s counsel Adv Surendra Desai intervened, due to which Kamat would be now heard on next Thursday.
Accordingly, notice has been served to Kamat. It was immediately accepted by Adv Desai.
The high court would now hear the petition, to decide whether it should be admitted and decided upon.
While arguing for a stay today, crime branch lawyer said the offence has international ramifications and there is crucial evidence available about Kamat’s involvement.
Kamat is charged of accepting huge amount of bribe from Louis Berger International Inc., the US-based consultancy firm.
The firm has admitted before the Department of Justice in New Jersey of paying bribes of total Rs six crore to ‘a’ minister and government officials in Goa to get the consultancy contract of JICA project.
Louis Berger was selected for consultancy to implement the project, worth Rs 1031 crore, funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
On similar grounds of accepting bribes, crime branch has already arrested former PWD minister Churchill Alemao on 5th August.
Kamat had moved for anticipatory bail on the same day.
He was let free without arrest by the CBI court at Goa yesterday, after hearing it extensively last week.
