HC notice to Goa govt, Kanda's firm in off shore casino case

The Bombay High Court today issued notices to Goa government and a hotel company owned by former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda on a plea challenging the state government's decision to renew the licence to the firm which owns an off shore casino anchored near here in Mandovi river.
Social activist Aires Rodrigues had moved the High Court challenging state government's decision to renew licence granted to Kanda's Golden Globe Hotels Private Limited .
The Goa government has sought time to file a reply. The matter would be now heard next week.
Rodrigues has in his petition sought recall of the order passed by the Bombay High Court at Goa onAugust 1, 2016 which was passed after an alleged misleading statement made by Additional Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande.

Rodrigues has in his petition claimed that the court was wrongly informed by Lawande that the government had favourably considered the representation made by Golden Globe Hotels Private Limited to renew their license from 2011-2016.
Stating that Lawande could not have made a statement contrary to the official position of the government, Rodrigues has drawn the attention of the court to the affidavit filed by the Under Secretary (Home) on December 7, 2015 that the expired Casino License could not be renewed. The casino licence owned by Kanda had expired in 2011.
Rodrigues has also drawn the High Court's attention to a Cabinet decision taken by the Goa Government in 2013 not to renew expired casino licences.