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An aide of Fransisco Pacheco has moved the Bombay high court in the case relating to the death of Pacheco's friend Nadia Torrado, claiming that the former Goa minister was being falsely implicated.
The Goa bench of the high court has fixed the date of the hearing of the petition filed by Lyndon Monteiro, officer on special duty to Fransisco Pacheco, on June 14.
The OSD in his anticipatory bail plea has said the former minister is being falsely implicated in the case as he had demanded an investigation into the involvement of a senior politician's son in the police-drug peddler nexus case.
"It is pertinent to note that recently Fransisco Pacheco, in his capacity as tourism minister, had written a letter to the chief minister about the rampant use of drugs in Goa, the police and political nexus with the drug dealers and its effect on tourism," states the petition filed by Monteiro.
Pacheco had also called upon the chief minister to probe the involvement of the son of a influential politician in the drug racket, he said.
"The same was not liked by other Cabinet colleagues, who are trying to cover up and save the said politician's son, as is also evident from the recent statements made by the chief minister himself," the petition said.
Monteiro said, "The death of Nadia Torrado is therefore being used as an issue to nail the minister and falsely implicate him, who has since resigned and has even been replaced by a new person."
The 28-year-old woman's death, allegedly by consuming poison on May 30, has brewed trouble for Pacheco and Monteiro, who are currently on the run.
"As the minister is not traceable, applicant (Monteiro) who was the officer on special duty and who has been acting in his official capacity, is being harassed by falsely accusing him of destroying evidence and implicating him in the alleged crime," the petition reads.
Monteiro has said he is not connected or concerned with the personal life of the minister and has been acting in his official capacity as per the instructions of the minister.
"The minister was also only helping a close family friend in distress and Monteiro has been acting as per the instructions," the petition reads.