Bribery case: Goa moves HC against ex-CM Kamat’s bail

The Goa government on Monday contended before the Goa Bench of Bombay high court here that the lower court erred in granting pre-arrest bail to former CM Digambar Kamat in the Louis Berger bribery case.

The special court for Prevention of Corruption Act cases granted anticipatory bail to Kamat, a Congress leader, in August. “On one hand, the judge agrees that there is prima facie evidence against him <g data-gr-id="15">and on the other hand</g> he gives Kamat the benefit of doubt under the Code of Criminal Procedure,” said Public Prosecutor SR Rivonkar, arguing before Justice C V Bhadang.

The lower court had said in its order that the investigating officer did not record the reasons as to why Kamat’s arrest was necessary.

The appeal filed by the government was first heard by another HC <g data-gr-id="18">judge</g> but he recused himself without citing a reason, after which it was assigned to Justice Bhadang. The bail pleas of former PWD minister Churchill Alemao and former Project Director of Japan International Cooperation Agency Anand Wachasunder, both arrested in the case, will come up for hearing before a lower court on Tuesday.