This Article is From Jul 02, 2010

Goa minister Pacheco to surrender tomorrow: Lawyer

Goa minister Pacheco to surrender tomorrow: Lawyer
Panaji: Former Goa Tourism Minister Fransisco Mickky Pacheco, wanted in connection with the death of his friend Nadia Torrado, will surrender before the police on Saturday, his lawyer has said.

"Pacheco will make himself available to the Crime Branch tomorrow morning," his lawyer Amit Palekar told reporters in Panaji.

Palekar said Pacheco's former officer on special duty, Lyndon Monteiro, has been summoned by Crime Branch on Saturday morning.

Pacheco and Monteiro are wanted in connection with the death of Torrado, 28, who died after allegedly consuming poison on May 30.

The Supreme Court had dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Pacheco on Thursday saying he could tamper with the investigation owing to his "political clout".

The bench of Justices R M Lodha and A K Patnaik, however, had stayed the arrest of co-accused Monteiro until three weeks and directed the State police to file its response to his anticipatory bail plea.

Police have charged 46-year-old Pacheco with culpable homicide while Monteiro has been accused of destroying evidence.
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