Panaji, Oct. 13 -- The Bombay high court at Goa on Monday quashed the first information report (FIR) registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) back in 2013 in connection with the Goa illegal mining case that was registered following the tabling of the Justice MB Shah Commission report.

The high court, in its order said that since the Goa police Crime Branch FIR itself was quashed on account of a lack of progress in the investigation for more than a decade, the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered by the ED would also fall.

"It is a settled position of law that the authorities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, cannot prosecute any person on a notional basis, unless an offence is registered a...