The Bombay High Court at Goa on Thursday set aside a December 13, 2013 order passed by South Goa additional sessions judge Vijaya Pol releasing the former Goa Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco, on probation in the Electricity department junior engineer assault case.
Justice A.R. Joshi on Thursday directed Mr. Pacheco, MLA of the Goa Vikas Party (GVP), to surrender before the Margao court within two weeks and undergo six months’ imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs.1,500.
Activist and lawyer Aires Rodrigues had challenged before the High Court the release of the MLA on admonition by granting him the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act. The High Court, after hearing the petitioner, converted the plea into a suo motu petition and issued notice to Mr. Pacheco.
The petitioner told the court that despite an FIR being lodged in 2006, no action was taken by the police to chargesheet Mr. Pacheco till 2009, evidently on account of his political connections, though the opinion of the Director of Public Prosecution was given on January 24, 2007.
