The Panaji bench of the Bombay high court refused to grant anticipatory bail to former Goa tourism minister Mickky Pacheco and his right-hand man Lyndon Monteiro on Monday in the culpable homicide case of Pacheco’s girlfriend Nadia Torrado.
Goa crime branch has named Pacheco — who, along with Monteiro is missing for the last two weeks — as a prime suspect in the case and has booked him for culpable homicide, abetment to suicide and destroying evidence.
While rejecting the bail application, the court said that Pacheco’s presence was required for interrogation in the state. Last week, the police had raided the Margao office of notary Joey Rodrigues as Pacheco had allegedly gone to his office to swear an affidavit for the anticipatory bail plea. Police sources felt that it was unlikely that Mr Pacheco — against whom a “lookout” notice is posted — had actually visited the notary’s office which is in the middle of a busy market in Margao.
They will also call Rodrigues for interrogation as he is apparently a close friend of Pacheco.
Nadia Torrado had consumed rat poison and anti-depressant pills on May 15 and died on May 30 after a failed liver transplant in Apollo hospital, Chennai.
Pacheco, who was called for questioning by the Cri-me Branch on June 4, had gone underground after the first day’s interrogation. The police meanwhile found that important documents pertaining to Nadia had been burnt and her cellphone and laptop were missing.