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Digamber Kamat & Soni Granted Bail While Churchill is Still in Jail – The Report

There are diverse reactions over the bail granted to Digamber Kamat and Raichand Soni while the former PWD minister is still behind the bars whose
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There are diverse reactions over the bail granted to Digamber Kamat and Raichand Soni while the former PWD minister is still behind the bars whose bail was rejected twice by the special court judge Deshpande. The group of followers of Churchill Alemao and other Catholic community from the south Goa has shown disapproval to this act saying why there is different judgment to different people for the similar offence. Some of them are even talking about the discrimination is based on the religion, meanwhile Churchill Alemao has decided to move with the fresh bail application to the special court.

The cloud of suspense mounted over the supporters of Digamber Kamat gathered outside the special court while the anticipatory bail matter of Digamber Kamat came up for the hearing today. The special judge B P Deshpande pronounced the order in the open court which apparently came as setback to the prosecution who seems to have been working very hard to make sure that the anticipatory bail of Kamat should not get granted. The supporters of Kamat have seen rejoicing over the decision of the court.

It has to be recalled that the arguments over the anticipatory bail of Kamat was heard last week and the decision was kept on hold and it was kept for the order today. Kamat’s counsel had challenged the prosecution over the merits of the case and that it was politically motivated action of the crime branch of Goa Police.

Though finally Kamat got the bail but his freedom came with strings attached to it, according the conditional bail pronounced by the judge of special court, Kamat has been asked to give the surety of Rupees One Lakh and undertake to remain present as and when the crime branch summons him for the enquiry. When asked about the details of the conditions laid on Kamat while granting the bail the counsel of Kamat Parag Rao stated that they are waiting for the certified copies from the court and then only will be able to reveal detailed conditions.

Media also contacted the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar over the bail of Kamat but he just kept replicating that that it is the decision the court and he has nothing to do in this as the matter is handed over by him long time back to the crime branch and they will do the needful. He also said that if it is the genuine case they will take up and I will not force them for anything.

Kamat’s wife seen telling the media that He (Kamat) never took single rupees from the people he provided the jobs, according to her, Kamat has helped more than 2000 people from Margao (his constituency) to get the jobs in various department and never took a penny from them “Why he will take money from any company as alleged by crime branch” she said. She said that the blessing of god is with them and it will protect them always from all the evils of the society.

Meanwhile the news of Kamat’s bail has been clubbed by the media with the release of Raichand Soni, the Hawala operator on bail. After rejecting the bail of Soni twice the special judge finally granted the bail to him following the granting of the bail to Kamat. When the bail of Soni got rejected twice his counsel took completely different stand under the “change of circumstances” while filing the fresh bail application. The argument over the bail matter of Soni was heard by the special court on 17th August in which his counsel argued that Sony was only involved into the transfer of money illegally which violates the guidelines of RBI and he was not the part of any corruption in the Louis Berger bribery case. This fact was clubbed with the statement of Sony in which he agreed to be having delivered the money through HAWALA to the Louis Berger officials in Goa unaware of the facts that the money was being paid as bribes.

Looking at the present situation Churchill Alemao has moved to the special court once again with the fresh bail plea which will be heard tomorrow. Alemao who has been implicated in the Louis Berger case is at present lodged into the Colvale Prison after his last bail application got rejected on 17th August. Although there is huge reaction on the social media as well as amongst the people of Goa questioning “Why Churchill is behind the bars while Kamat has gone scot free for the similar accusation?”  Although the concern raised by the public is also correct to quite an extent but the judiciary has something else to say on this, according to them

  1. Kamat do not have criminal background while Churchill has the long criminal background, which his lawyer did not counter this allegation while arguing for the bail
  2. Kamat applied for the anticipatory bail in advance keeping the picture of arrest in mind while Churchill did not go for anticipatory bail claiming that he has not done anything wrong and God is with him
  3. There is a fear of tempering of evidences by Churchill on the basis of his earlier criminal background while Kamat did not have any such things to his credits.
  4. In the case of Kamat the crime branch failed to establish any criminal activities or prima facie evidences against him while they have easily established the same in the case of Churchill Alemao.

Whatever may be the point of view of the judiciary or the crime branch but the fact remains same that Kamat as well as Alemao both are facing the serious charges of taking the bribe from US based consultancy firm Louis Berger and while one is behind the bars other has gone scot free. For time being let’s consider keeping the past of both the accused away from their present offense then the whole judgment should turn upside down. The whole case is taken up by the crime branch based on the facts revealed by the US based consultancy firm Louis Berger in which the firm has admitted in front of the justice department of New Jersey of paying total six crore bribes to the Ministers and government officials in Goa to win the contract of JICA project. Please do leave your valuable comments and suggestions on this issue.

Source: Various Sources

Edited by: Goa Prism News Desk 

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