GIVE 72-HR NOTICE BEFORE ARREST: HC

Interim relief for firm’s directors in iron ore cert scam

S Ahmed Ali TNN

Mumbai: The Bombay HC directed the MRA Marg police, who are probing a fake iron ore certificate scam, to give a 72-hour notice to four directors of Raipur-based Hira Steels Ltd before arresting them.
    While giving the interim relief, the division bench of Justices AS Oka and Sadhna Jadhav had kept the matter for quashing of the FIR pending till the hearing on Monday. The directors—Jagdish Prasad Agrawal, Amit Agrawal, Ajay Ahluwalia and Pankaj Agarwal—had filed a criminal application for quashing of the FIR of cheating and forgery charges against them.
    In June, Geo-Chem, a company with expertise in inspection, survey and testing of cargo and commodities, filed a complaint under Section 156 (3) of CrPC before the 38th court alleging that their former employee Jagannathan Rao and Prasanna Ghotge, an iron ore exporter, had cheated the company by issuing a fake quality certificate.
    “In May, the Raipur police arrived at Geo-Chem’s Goa branch to inquire into issuance of a bogus certificate to Ghotage for export of iron ore to China from Goa. At this juncture, Geo-Chem learnt about the fraud carried out by their former manager Rao,” said investigating officer Phadthare. In May, the Raipur police arrested Rao on the complaint of Hira Steels and registered a complaint of fraud against Prasanna Ghotge, Jayesh Parab, Sanjay Shironkar, Vividha, Hasan M, Angolkar, Sheikh Imran, Jagannathan Rao and KV Sharma under various sections.
    Hira Steels alleged that Ghotge had signed an agreement with it on May 7, 2011, for supplying 1,10,000 metric tonnes of iron ore having 51% iron content. Ghotge supplied only 41,253 metric tonnes to Hira Steels and the firm supplied the same to a company in China. In July 2011, prior to the cargo reaching China, the buyer had sent an email to the head office of Geo-Chem in Mumbai enquiring about the authenticity of its report.
    “The Mumbai office immediately replied to the Chinese buyer stating that the report was fake. Later when the material was inspected in China in August it was found that the iron ore supplied by Ghotge was found to be of inferior quality and it iron content was about 41%,” said a Geo-Chem official.
    However, during the MRA Marg police probe it was found that Rao had issued a fake certificate. Cops are seeking Rao’s custody.
    “Our investigations have found that in May 2011, Hira Steels had asked Intertek India’s office in Goa for testing the cargo, which had issued a report stating that the ore was of inferior quality and despite knowing that Hira Steels deliberately exported it to China hoping to encash on the goodwill and reputation of Geo-Chem,” added Phadthare.
    Hira group’s advocate Fiji Fedrick said, “Hira Steels was first to file the complaint of cheating against Geo-Chem’s directors in Raipur. Later, the directors went in for quashing the FIR, which was rejected. It was an afterthought that Geo-Chem, in a bid to defend itself, has filed a private complaint against Hira Steels.”

Kuber owner may move HC seeking nod to set sail

S Ahmed Ali TNN

Mumbai: It has been four years since the 26/11 terror attacks, Vinod Masani, the owner of fishing boat Kuber, is still in deep water. The boat was hijacked by Ajmal Kasab and his cohorts between Porbandar and Jakhau for 26/11.
    The Gujarat fisheries department has refused to grant Masani permission to sail in Gujarat waters. “Since July, the Gujarat fisheries department has put a ban stating that I should first get a clearance from the government.” said Masani.
    “The special court has given me a clean chit and released my seized boat. I am planning to file a petition in before the Bombay high court seeking direction to all agencies, including the Gujarat fisheries department, to allow me to sail again,” he added.
    Masani, who owns four such boats, said he is reeling under losses and has been paying the salaries of the boat’s staffers. Masani, who welcomed the government’s decision to hang Kasab, is upset with the manner in which his case has been handled by the government and security agencies. The fishing vessel was hijacked by terrorists in the Arabian Sea days before 26/11.
    Four fishermen on the vessel were killed and the terrorists dumped their bodies in the sea. The boat driver, Amar Solanki, was bumped off later and his body was found by the Navy. The vessel’s four crew members are listed as missing in official records. They were identified as Junagadh resident Ramesh Solanki (36), Valsad residents Balwant Tandel (45) and Mukesh Rathod (20) and Navasari native Nanu Rathod.

IN DEEP WATER: Kasab and his cohorts hijacked the boat for 26/11