Mickky gets 7 days police custody
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, JULY 9
Former tourism minister, Mickky Pacheco will have to spend the next seven days in the custody of the Crime Branch.
A day after his arrest by the Crime Branch in the Nadia Torrado death case, the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao on Friday remanded the former minister to seven days police custody. The court also rejected Pacheco’s plea for his medical examination by the Head of Department, Medicine of the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim.
Incidentally, Judge Devidas Kerkar ordered that Pacheco be remanded to seven days police custody even though the Crime Branch through the Assistant Public Prosecutor had prayed that the former minister be remanded to 14 days police custody. On the other hand, Pacheco’s lawyer objected to the Crime Branch’s prayer and submitted that the former minister be remanded only for 2-3 days on grounds the investigating agency would have adequate time at their disposal to interrogate the former minister till Monday.
The JMFC court did not entertain the argument of Pacheco’s legal counsel to subject the former minister to medical examination by the head of the GMC’s Medicine Department.
The question of medical examination of the former minister witnessed arguments in the court. Pacheco’s legal counsel Adv Amit Palekar argued that the health of the former minister is deteriorating saying that his bilirubin has shot up to 5.1 mg from 3.1 mg the day of his admission to the Hospicio.
At one stage, Adv Palekar said the Crime Branch would be held responsible if the health condition of his client worsens while in police custody. He sought to know the harm if Pacheco is medically examined while on his way back to the custody.
On the other hand, Assistant Public Prosecutor, Sunita Gawde argued that the accused was subjected to medical examination by a team of doctors at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim on Thursday and was certified to be fit for discharge.
Moreover, Gawde argued there’s no reason why the accused should be referred for medical examination again when he was examined in the GMC earlier in the day and will be subjected to medical examination every 48 hours.
While arguments were heard by Judge Devidas Kerkar in the afternoon, the court pronounced the order remanding Pacheco to seven days police custody at 4 pm.
