Panaji: A Division Bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justices Nitin Jamdar and Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday asked the Chief Secretary of Goa Dharmendra Sharma to submit a report on his investigation into the complaint over the ₹51-lakh food scam at the BRICS summit, 2016. The court said the report should include suggestions as to how the working conditions of the Goa Police can be improved and proper care be taken.
It adjourned to June 11 the hearing of a petition filed by the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police challenging the jurisdiction of the Goa State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) to order an investigation into the food scam.
Acting on a complaint filed by activist lawyer Aires Rodrigues, the GSHRC, on December 14, 2017 had asked the Chief Secretary to submit a detailed report within 45 days of conducting a thorough inquiry and fixing responsibility in the case.
On January 25 this year, the Chief Secretary in his reply to the GSHRC said the inquiry had been initiated and statements of police officials have been recorded with four witnesses already examined. He sought four more weeks to complete the inquiry and submit his report.
This is the second time the Chief Secretary and DGP have moved the High Court seeking to quash the BRICS food scam proceedings. On August 21, 2017, a division bench comprising Justices Gautam Patel and Nutan Sardessai while declining to quash the proceedings had asked the GSHRC to make it clear whether it recommends an inquiry or investigation and to specify the parameters.
Mr. Rodrigues, in his complaint to the GSHRC on October 14, 2016, had submitted that the ₹ 51,60,000 contract was given to a local caterer for supply of food to police personnel posted on duty for the BRICS 2016 summit but that the contract was sub-let to a roadside contractor who clandestinely prepared the food in unhygienic conditions.
The complaint also said the authorities had failed to make proper arrangements including food, water and toilet facilities for the police personnel and consequently, had neglected to cater to their fundamental rights.
On October 18, 2016, the GSHRC directed that no payments should be released to the caterer pending inquiry into the episode.
