PANJIM, NOV 8
Supreme Court today granted anticipatory bail to Lyndon Monteiro, officer on special duty to former tourism minister Fransisco (Mickky) Pacheco in the Nadia Torrado death case.
The Bench was hearing his bail application, also asked the state to produce evidence as against the Crime Branch prayer for Monteiro’s custodial interrogation.
Advocate Amit Palekar, representing Monteiro, confirmed the news to Herald in a telephonic conversation from Delhi.
“The Court told the state that in case they discover any evidences in future, they can move trial court seeking Monteiro’s custody if required,” he said.
Crime Branch had asked Monteiro’s custodial interrogation to recover Nadia’s two mobile phones, her passport, laptop and ‘ratol’ paste tube, in an affidavit filed at the Supreme Court, last week.
“The petitioner (Monteiro) is an influential person. He may use pressure tactics to create fear in the minds of the witnesses. The petitioner may tamper with the evidences,” the affidavit read.
Monteiro was given interim bail by the Apex Court after his bail pleas were rejected by the Sessions Court and Bombay High Court at Goa. The investigating agency had refused to give details of the probe to the Supreme Court, claiming “highly influential people in the State” were hampering the investigations.
The state is probing into the death of the 28-year-old Nadia who died after consuming the poison paste in May 2010. Ex-tourism minister Pacheco and his close aide Monteiro are accused of killing Nadia.
Pacheco had resigned from the cabinet after the case against him was booked by Crime Branch. He remained absconding for over a month before surrendering to South Goa court. He was subsequently arrested and later released on bail.
