…Also investigate ‘excise scam’, drug nexus
MARGAO, JUNE 2
In the eye of a storm over the death of Nadia Torrado due to poisoning, Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco has requested Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to institute a judicial probe by a retired High Court Judge to investigate impartially the death of his good friend.
The tourism minister has also requested the chief minister to ensure that the judicial inquiry also probes into the Excise scam as well as the drug racket involving the kith and kin of political bigwigs in the government.
Complaining to the chief minister about “witch hunting” indulged by the Goa police in order to unnecessarily harass him and his family, Pacheco charged the police with acting at the behest of some vested interests, following the death of Nadia Joelle Torrado. “I hope my request for the judicial inquiry will be granted in all the three cases with immediate effect,” he added.
A day after the Investigating Officer Raju Raut Dessai issued summons to him to report to the Maina Curtorim police station without fail in connection with the ongoing investigations into the Loutolim woman death case, Pacheco, in his letter, said that late Nadia was undoubtedly his good family friend and his personal friend. “Despite the fact that her entire family including her husband have time and again given statements before various authorities including the Sub-Divisional Magistrate that late Nadia consumed Ratol accidentally and they do not hold anyone responsible for her death nor do they suspect any foul play, the police have been witch hunting and traumatizing the family,” he informed the chief minister.
The tourism minister further said the police have served all of them notices not to leave the State without their permission, adding “surprisingly, I have been served a similar notice. I have been summoned before the police to record my statement.”
He told the chief minister that following such a weird and biased behaviour of the police authorities, it is but natural, that he has lost his faith on the uprightness of the police force.
Pacheco further said that it is also evident that the police force is thus behaving at the instance of some vested interests in the government, who have been always inimical to him.
While requesting for a judicial probe, the tourism minister drew attention of the chief minister that there are also urgent serious matters which police should deal with, namely the drug racket and the excise scam, both plaguing the State.
