Goa CM has 'sympathy' for on-the-run convicted former minister

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said on Saturday on-the-run former cabinet minister Francisco Pacheco was "acting crazy" by evading arrest but added that he sympathised with the convicted minister.

Parsekar, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a media event, said he along with the legislative assembly had "sympathy" for Pacheco, who has been evading an arrest warrant for nearly two months now.

"He's acting crazy. All I can say, is that if he had come to me for advise, I would have given me proper advise. He is following wrong advise," Parsekar said, as the opposition has accused the BJP-led coalition government of sheltering Pacheco.

Pacheco was the minister for archives and archaeology in the BJP-led coalition government until he was forced to resign when the Supreme Court last month upheld a Bombay High Court order sentencing him to six months in jail in a 2006 assault case.

Pacheco is the chief of the Goa Vikas Party, which is a coalition partner in the BJP-led alliance government and has two MLAs in the legislative assembly, including himself.

Pacheco, who has a history of criminal cases against him ranging from extortion, assault, bigamy, money laundering and human trafficking, loan default, has been missing since April 9.

He has failed to pay heed to an order asking him to surrender, and police have been unable to serve the arrest warrant issued against him.

A trial court is currently hearing a petition which seeks to term the minister as an absconder, while police have declared a reward of Rs.25,000 for any information on the whereabouts of the former minister.

Parsekar said he, along with other legislative assembly members, had sympathy for Pacheco, but also added that his blatant evasion of law would "land him in trouble".

"He was my colleague. We definitely have sympathy towards him (like) every assembly member. Trouble can strike anyone. Therefore, he should have come forward and surrendered," the chief minister said.

"Do you think by delaying his arrest he is reducing his time period of six months. That six months continues. He is landing in trouble," Parsekar said.