Cases against Mickky, Jose
86 others charged with manhandling Pacheco
HERALD REPORTER
VASCO, OCT 27
Vasco Police has registered an offence against Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza, former Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) chairperson Kritesh Gaonkar and 86 others on charges of manhandling former tourism minister Mickky Pacheco on Tuesday night.
Police also registered a non-cognizable offence against Pacheco on charges of distributing money to candidates in Vasco.
The Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association President Simon Pereira, Edwin Carvalho, Mariano Fernandes and Digo Pereira have alleged that D’Souza along with his supporters barged into the hotel and assaulted Pacheco and damaged hotel property.
D’Souza along with Gaonkar, Babu Nanoskar, who is contesting from Ward 18, Pachao Monteiro, Anthony Fernandes, Balkrishna Salgaokar alias Balu, Wahid Shaikh and Salim Atelyel and 80 unknown persons have been named in the FIR.
“We have registered an offence against Jose Philip D’Souza and other people under Sections 143, 147, 323, 504, r/w 149 IPC. All these sections are bailable offences,” said Vasco DySP Rohidas Patre.
“The medical report has stated that Pacheco had minor bruises on his body,” informed Patre.
Acting on a complaint from Balakrishna Salgaokar and two other persons, police registered a non-cognizable offence against Pacheco on charges of distributing money to candidates in Vasco.
Incidentally, the police confirmed that both NCP leaders have not filed police complaints in the matter and they have not given their statements to police about Tuesday’s incident.
“Pacheco has stated that he would give his statement after consulting his party high command,” DySP Patre said.
“The hotel staff are reluctant to inform about the incident to the police, but police have made an effort to collect more evidence to take the case to its logical conclusion,” he said.
Meanwhile, port town continued to reel under tension till the wee hours of Wednesday.
At about 1.30 am, a large number of Pacheco’s supporters along with Cortalim MLA Mauvin Godinho’s supporters, were seen near Chicalim junction and at Vasco Police station.
However, Vasco returned to normalcy on Wednesday morning, much to the relief of residents in the port town.
Meanwhile, citizens from Vasco have condemned the Tuesday’s incident saying that it brought bad name to the port town. The incident also drew sharp criticism from the Bhartiya Janata Party which demanded that the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat sack Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza from the cabinet for his “uncivilized act” in a hotel.
The Party felt that the revenue minister had to seek help of the authorities if Pacheco was distributing money rather than taking law in his hands.
