Probe on-the-run Goa lawmaker's Facebook photo change: Congress

The Congress has asked the police to trace convicted former Goa minister Francisco Pacheco, who has been dodging arrest for nearly a month-and-a-half, after he changed his Facebook profile photograph.

On Friday, Congress spokesperson Durgadas Kamat alleged that the former archives and archaeology minister posted a new Facebook profile photo on Thursday night.

Kamat has asked the state police to contact Facebook to track down the location and Internet Protocol (IP) address that was used to update the picture.

"Police has to get in touch with Facebook to track him down now. This (photo) shows there is lack of political will to arrest the lawmaker who is now using the social media to flaunt himself while on the run," Kamat said.

The photo shows a smiling Pacheco wearing a black casual shirt, with a smart phone, sitting with an empty glass with a drink stirrer in it.

Pacheco was a minister in the BJP-led coalition government until he was forced to resign when the Supreme Court upheld the Bombay High Court order sentencing him to six months imprisonment and a fine.

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

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 this year.

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.

A local court had also issued a warrant to search 10, Akbar Road, the official residence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar for Pacheco, but the order was stayed after the state government appealed against the order.

A senior police official who is part of a police team to trace Pacheco said they were aware of the Facebook profile photo update and that "necessary steps were being taken" to serve the arrest warrant on the legislator.