SC upholds Goa minister's conviction for assault

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a Bombay High Court judgment sentencing Goa's Archives and Archaeology Minister Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco to six months' imprisonment for assaulting a government servant in 2006.

Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said in Panaji that any decision on Pacheco's fate will be taken only after studying the apex court ruling.

Pacheco is the de facto chief of the Goa Vikas Party, which is a partner in the state's ruling coalition headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and is one of 12 cabinet ministers.

An apex court bench of Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh on Monday dismissed Pacheco's special leave petition which appealed against his conviction for assault by the Bombay High Court bench in Panaji in July last year.

A legislator from Nuvem, Pacheco, who has a string of cases against him related to extortion, assault, bigamy, and money laundering, among others, was booked in July 2006 for assaulting Kapil Natekar, a junior engineer in the state power department after summoning him to his own cabin.

Asked if Pacheco would be dropped as minister, Parsekar told reportersin Panaji: "We will take a decision, once we see a copy of the Supreme Court judgement. Whatever is required to be done by law, will then be done."

Pacheco was sworn in as minister in a cabinet expansion in November last year.

Goa's BJP-led coalition government also comprises the GVP, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and supporting Independent legislators, though the BJP -- with 21 members -- possesses a simple majority on its own in the 40-member assembly. The GVP has two legislators and MGP three.