The Goa Chief Secretary has written to the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, seeking action against a lower court judge, for issuing a warrant to search 10, Akbar Road, the residence of Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Bosco Roberts was hearing a case of the missing convict and former Minister Mickky Pacheco, when the applicant advocate Aires Rodrigues, alleged that Pacheco was seen at 10, Akbar road. The judge then issued an order for a search warrant.
An embarrassed State Government quickly got the order stayed by the session court and has now proceeded to complain against the lower court judge. “This order seems to be an exercise which smacks of over enthusiasm on the part of the learned JMFC and has got political overtones. Accordingly this Government desires that the conduct of the aforesaid learned JMFC should be investigated by the Honourable High Court of Bombay for taking appropriate action against him as deemed fit,” says a letter written by RK Srivastava’s to the Registrar of the Bombay High Court.
Pacheco was the Minister of Rural Development 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, who has a 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.