Panaji: Former Goa minister Fransisco
Pacheco, accused in the death of his close friend Nadia
Torrado, will have to spend a few more days in police custody
as a Sessions Court in Margao rejected his bail plea today.
While rejecting the bail plea, Additional Sessions
Judge B P Deshpande accepted the prosecution`s arguments that
it was a serious offence and more custodial interrogation was
needed.
"There has been no change in the circumstances from
the time Pacheco`s bail was earlier rejected," the court
remarked.
Pacheco`s lawyer, Amit Palekar, said that they will
now move to the high court with the bail plea.
The 46-year-old NCP leader, who had surrendered on
July 3 before the court after a month in hiding, was arrested
soon after he was discharged from Margao`s Hospicio hospital
on July 8.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had rejected his
anticipatory bail plea forcing him to make himself available
to investigating agencies.
Pacheco was booked by police on the charge of abetment
to suicide and culpable homicide not amounting to murder in
connection with the death of Nadia, who died after allegedly
consuming poison on May 30 in Chennai.
The former tourism minister`s close aide, Lyndon
Monteiro, has also been booked for destroying evidence in the
case. He was granted anticipatory bail by the Supreme Court.
PTI
