Mickky quits; vanishes

Mickky quits; vanishes
Police stations on alert to trace him  
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JUNE 5
In a change of political fortunes and turn of events, flamboyant Tourism Minister and Nationalist Congress Party legislator Mickky Pacheco who is being probed in the Nadia Torrado death case resigned from the cabinet on Saturday after his party high command pressurised him to quit.
The minister, who failed to appear at the Crime Branch for further interrogation, sent his resignation to the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat today afternoon. He was not contactable the entire day and the Crime Branch too maintained he could not be contacted.
Goa Police Public Relations Officer Atmaram Deshpande said they alerted all police stations in the State after the minister could not be traced anywhere. “The search for the minister will continue till he is traced. If he is not traceable the investigating officer in the case will move for the next course of action as per law,” he observed.     
A communiqué issued by the Department of Information in the evening stated the governor had accepted the resignation of the minister on the recommendation of the chief minister with immediate effect.   
NCP’s National Secretary Jeetendra Deshprabhu said Mickky’s resignation arose as a consensus within the party. In case of the minister, things had gone beyond a reasonable point and on moral grounds the party had to take a stand, he stated. But, however, Deshprabhu said Mickky continued to be a party man. 
Pacheco in his resignation letter maintained he was resigning from the cabinet over the allegations levelled against him in the death of Nadia, who died on May 30 in Chennai, 15 days after she consumed rat poison.
The chief minister, who had a word with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said Mickky’s decision to quit was right because orders had come from his party’s high command.  
NCP’s State President Carmo Pegado said the tourism minister’s resignation was on moral grounds and he was asked to do so in the interest of the party.
When questioned whether the Tivim legislator Nilkant Halarnkar would be next in line for ministerial berth, Pegado said it was but obvious. As a matter of right it is natural that the portfolios of Mickky should go to Nilkant. We have spoken to the CM in this regard, he stated.
The CM, too, reportedly spoke to the NCP supremo Sharad Pawar about Mickky’s resignation and added another minister would be sworn in his place.    
Kamat said he had briefed Pawar about the events and maintained Congress and NCP high commands will jointly take a decision on who will replace Pacheco.
The Bharatiya Janata Party appeared happy over the minister’s resignation. In a statement the party’s spokesperson Rajendra Arlekar said the resignation of the minister had proved BJP’s doubts in the episode. “We hope the investigation will be held in an impartial manner and the culprit booked. This will improve the image of Goa which is being tarnished by tainted ministers in the Kamat ministry,” he said.
VASCO REPORTER ADDS: Vasco police were on their toes Saturday as various teams were sent to the airport, railway station, bus stops and hotels in Mormugao taluka, in a bid to locate former Tourism Minister Micky Pacheco.
Police Inspector Braz Manezes along with the airport outpost staff were seen patiently waiting at the airport and were keeping a constant watch on both domestic and international departures and arrivals.
The register books at most hotels in Mormugao taluka were also checked and police teams were also posted at the Vasco railway station. Police checked the Delhi-bound Goa Express trains in afternoon and the evening Bangalore-bound Yeswantpur express train, but could not locate Pacheco.