Goa Minister Mauvin Godinho Acquitted in ‘Power Rebate Scam’ After 27 Years, Says He “Waited Long for Justice”

On Monday, a local court acquitted Goa Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho in connection with the long-standing ‘power rebate scam’ case dating back to 1998. The alleged scam revolved around irregularities in the granting of electricity rebates to certain industrial units, which reportedly caused a loss of over ₹4.5 crore to the state exchequer.

Mauvin Godinho, who at the time was serving as Power Minister in the Congress-led government, was accused along with the then chief electrical engineer of the power department, T Nagarajan, and some other industry officials. The allegation was that they colluded to provide unlawful rebates on power consumption to selected industries.

The case was initially brought to light by BJP leader Manohar Parrikar, who was in the Opposition in 1996. Parrikar alleged that Godinho had committed fraud by issuing two government notifications granting a 25% rebate to certain industrial units without prior approval from the state Cabinet. Based on his complaint, an FIR was filed, setting off a prolonged legal battle.

In 2001, when Parrikar became the Chief Minister of Goa, Godinho was arrested by the state police in connection with the case. Later, in 2006, a Special Court framed charges against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with criminal conspiracy. The High Court in 2007 confirmed that prima facie evidence existed to proceed with the charges. The matter even reached the Supreme Court in 2018, which upheld the High Court’s order to continue with the trial, thereby extending the case’s lifespan for nearly three decades.

Despite this cloud of allegations, Godinho joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2016, just two months before the 2017 assembly elections, and eventually became a minister in Parrikar’s cabinet, highlighting the shifting political dynamics of Goa.

After the acquittal, Godinho expressed immense relief, saying that justice had finally been served after a long and trying 27 years. He emphasized that the entire process had been more about “political persecution” than genuine prosecution and described it as an abuse of the law. According to him, the case was blown out of proportion by the media, which turned it into a “media trial” that damaged his public image and personal dignity for almost three decades. He argued that there was never any quid pro quo or corruption on his part and that the decision to issue notifications without Cabinet approval was not unusual, as similar instances could be found where ministers cleared decisions without sending them back to the Cabinet. Godinho maintained that he was deliberately framed in the case for political reasons.

Interestingly, Godinho refrained from blaming the late Manohar Parrikar for the ordeal, despite Parrikar being the one who filed the original complaint against him. He stated that as a politician in the Opposition, Parrikar only did what was expected of him and that any other leader in a similar situation would have acted in the same way. Godinho insisted that he harbored no ill will and acknowledged that political rivalry often pits the ruling party against the Opposition by default.

Godinho, who currently also oversees portfolios including Industries, Trade and Commerce, and Panchayati Raj, concluded by expressing gratitude to those who systematically pursued the case, even as he questioned who would compensate him for the loss of dignity, reputation, and years of hardship he endured.