Goa court stays search warrant for Parrikar's Delhi house

The warrant was issued to trace former state minister Francisco 'Miccky' Pacheco who is reported to be absconding

A Goa district court has stayed a warrant issued by a local court to search the official residence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in Delhi to trace former state minister Francisco 'Miccky' Pacheco who is reported to be absconding since his conviction in a 2006 assault case.

Hours after the Judicial Magistrate First Class Bosco Roberts issued the warrant to search 10, Akbar Road residence of Parrikar yesterday, district court judge P V Sawaikar stayed its execution last night on the state government's appeal that they cannot search Parrikar's house since it is a military property.

Social activist and lawyer Aires Rodrigues had approached the JMFC, Margao, alleging that Goa police are not doing enough to track Pacheco and that there was "information" that Pacheco was "hiding" at 10, Akbar Road.

The JMFC had also rejected the plea of Colva police to issue a proclamation against Pacheco and instead issued a fresh warrant of arrest returnable on April 27.

Observing that harbouring an offender is a cognisable offence under section 216 of IPC, Rodrigues had alleged the prosecution and police are colluding with Pacheco and instead of diligently executing the arrest warrant they have in connivance and collusion been shielding Pacheco in total disrespect and contempt of the court.

The JMFC had issued a warrant of arrest against Pacheco, chief of Goa Vikas Party, a partner in the BJP-led government in the state, on April 9 as he has to undergo a six-month sentence for assaulting a junior engineer of the Electricity Department in 2006.

The warrant was later extended by another five days, which ended yesterday.

The former Rural Development Agency Minister had filed a review petition in the apex court against his conviction which is yet to be admitted.