PANJIM: After an over four-year long investigation, Crime Branch is almost ready to submit a closure report in the Nadia Torrado case next week, giving a clean chit to Minister for Rural Development Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco, who was booked for abetment to suicide. (Mickky reacts Pg 3)
Interestingly, the Crime Branch sleuths are relying on the dying declaration in which the 28-year-old had said she mistook rat poison (Ratol tube) for toothpaste. The report is, however, not clear on the presence of 11 bruises on her body as documented by the autopsy report.
“Our findings have concluded that Nadia took poison by mistake based on her dying declaration to the executive magistrate and that she mistook it for toothpaste. There is no evidence pointing fingers at Mickky. He has no role in her death,” an officer said requesting anonymity.
Besides her dying declaration, the closure report will contain statements of other witnesses, medical report and forensic report of electronic gadgets like computer hard disks and mobile phone records of the victim.
Torrado died on May 30, 2010 in a Chennai hospital, 15 days after she allegedly consumed Ratol poison paste and was treated at various hospitals in Goa, Thane and was finally taken to Chennai.
Pacheco, who was then Tourism minister in the Congress-led regime, had to resign following pressure from several quarters demanding action against him.
He was booked for abetment to suicide and went into hiding for over a month only to surrender before a local court on July 3. He was released on bail on several conditions imposed by Supreme Court. The minister, had made special arrangements to fly his close friend Nadia from Goa to outstation hospitals in a chartered ambulance, had contended he was dragged into the controversy and falsely implicated in the case.
Nadia’s mother, Sonia, was also arrested for destruction of evidence and other charges under the Indian Penal Code.
