No names on Goa Crime Branch FIR on Rs 35000 crore ‘illegal mining’ scam

Even though the Shah Commission Report distinctly highlights the names of certain officials of the Department of Mines & Geology; questions have also been raised former Chief Ministers and Minister for Mines from 2000 onwards, the Goa police Crime Branch have registered a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the massive illegal mining scam which has been pegged to be around Rs 35,000 crore but interestingly like the complaint filed by the new Director of Mines, the Crime Branch FIR also is filed against unknown persons.

“An FIR has been filed and now the investigation will follow,” revealed Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Nilu Raut. He said that the FIR had been filed, based on a complaint running into 1,000 pages, by the state Mines and Geology department on July 26. The complaint was based on the findings of the Justice MB Shah Commission and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which bolstered claims about illegal mining in Goa.

The Shah Commission had pegged illegal mining in the state to be worth Rs 35,000 crore. The Goa government’s complaint to the Crime branch held several politicians including former Congress Goa Chief Ministers Digambar Kamat and Pratapsingh Rane, current Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, officials of Mines and Geology department, Indian Mines Bureau, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, responsible for illegal mining.