The family of a whistleblower, who exposed former Goa Tourism Minister Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco on camera driving illegally driving a sports utility vehicle on a Goa beach on Sunday and then abusing and threatening the watersports operator who shot the video, has now demanded police protection from the Goa Government.
Speaking to The Pioneer Fanny Da Silva, mother of Melroy, a water sports operator, has said that the Government was responsible for the family’s safety, after her son’s video showing the excess by the minister on Sunday went viral.
“We request the tourism minister to take action on this. We need tourists to come to Goa, not people who damage tourists. We want the Tourism Minister to take action and provide safety for family. If anything happens to the family, I will blame the Government,” Da Silva said.
Melroy’s video showing Pacheco’s car zipping along the Betalbatim-Utorda beach stretch trampling over his water sports apparatus, a parachute, and the subsequent confrontation with the former Minister at a beach shack, where Pacheco and his friend allegedly tried to verbally abuse and threatened had gone viral on Monday, a day after the incident occurred.
Goa’s Tourism Minister Manohar Azgaonkar has already condemned the incident and has asked the State police to take strict action against Pacheco for violating rules.
“Driving on beaches is banned in Goa. The police should take strict action. If Ministers flout law like this, then others will also follow suit,” Azgaonkar said.