Pacheco seeks anticipatory bail; cabinet replacement likely
June 8th, 2010 - 5:42 pm ICT by IANS
Panaji, June 8 (IANS) Mickky Pacheco, former Goa tourism minister who was questioned in connection with the suspicious death of his alleged paramour, Tuesday applied for anticipatory bail at a local court. Preparations are also on to induct a new minister in the 12-member cabinet to replace him.
Pacheco, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator who already faces charges of bigamy, extortion and assault, went ‘missing’ after Crime Branch officials grilled him for nearly nine hours Friday.
He applied for anticipatory bail at the Margao district and sessions court.
Pacheco has been caught in the whirlwind after his 28-year-old alleged lover Nadia Torrado died May 30 at a Chennai hospital after consuming rat poison.
Women activists and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or judicial enquiry into the woman’s death.
Pacheco himself demanded a judicial probe into Torrado’s death, calling the police investigation a “witch-hunt” against him.
Meanwhile, preparations are being made to swear-in a new minister.
Sources said a meeting of the respective high commands of the NCP and the Congress had finalised the name of Nilkanth Halarnkar, an NCP legislator from Thivim to replace Pacheco in the Congress-led coalition government.
The present ruling dispensation includes the Congress, the NCP, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), one Independent legislator and one unattached legislator.
“Since an NCP minister was dropped, we insisted that an NCP legislator should be inducted. Two cabinet berths for the NCP is part and parcel of the alliance agreement with the Congress,” an NCP functionary said.
While Halarnkar’s name has not been formally announced, Raj Bhavan grounds have been readied for the swearing-in ceremony to be held Tuesday afternoon.
Goa legislative assembly has 18 Congress legislators, 14 BJP, 3 NCP, 2 MGP, two Independents and one unattached legislator belonging to the United Goans Democratic party (UGDP).
- Goa gets new minister, Mickky key suspect in death - Jun 08, 2010
- Two NCP ministers quit Congress-led Goa government - Mar 14, 2011
- 10 Congress dissidents threaten to topple Goa government - Dec 22, 2010
- Goa Congress admits to crisis over Pacheco, can drop NCP (Lead) - Dec 23, 2010
- Ministers others threaten to topple Goa government - Mar 19, 2010
- Chavan had to go, how can Pacheco come, ask Goa Congress dissidents - Dec 23, 2010
- Goa court rejects former minister's anticipatory bail plea - Jun 10, 2010
- Pacheco may have got fake medical certificates: prosecution - Jul 06, 2010
- Goa NCP-Congress bury differences after midnight meeting - Mar 22, 2010
- Judge recuses himself from hearing Pacheco's case - Jul 16, 2010
- Pacheco granted bail in culpable homicide case - Jul 26, 2010
- Ministers threaten to topple Goa government, Kamat unfazed (Lead) - Mar 19, 2010
- Two Goa ex-chief ministers, six ministers defeated - Mar 06, 2012
- Pacheco lover's mother burnt all her documents, clothes: Cops - Jun 09, 2010
- Goa court directs FIR against minister in land scam case - Jan 11, 2011
Tags: alliance agreement, bharatiya janata party, branch officials, central bureau of investigation, court preparations, crime branch, goa tourism, judicial enquiry, judicial probe, maharashtrawadi gomantak party, margao, member cabinet, nationalist congress party, ncp, rat poison, sessions court, suspicious death, tourism minister, witch hunt, women activists