7 JUNE HERALD PUBLICATIONS PVT LTD

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India: Big B adjudged best actor at IIFA awards Pg 7 IN BRIEF NIA dodges media CHICAGO: The four-member team of Indian investigators, here to question David Headley, has remained elusive and has been dodging the media since they arrived in the US a week ago. - (PTI)

The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, mOnDaY, june 7, 2010

Business: SEBI keeping eye on MF agents Pg 12

pRiCe Rs. 3.00 (air Surcharge Rs. 1.50) pages 18

Sports: Nadal wins French Open, tops ranking Pg 18

Search on, Mickky still elusive Not treated as accused yet, say cops

Pressure on Pawar to quit NEW DELHI: Political pressure mounted on Sharad Pawar over the Pune IPL bid row with BJP and SS today demanding his resignation and the CPI-M seeking a joint parliamentary probe into the issue. The twists and turns in the Pune bid row continued with City Corporation MD Aniruddh Deshpande refuting allegations. - (PTI)

Bodies of two others retrieved

...May apply for anticipatory bail

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JUNE 6

Former Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco who is in eye of a storm over the death of his close friend Nadia Torrado, remains elusive even as the police said the politician was not treated as an accused in the case. “ We have not said that Pacheco is an accused. We want him for questioning as a part of the investigation,” police spokesman Atmaram Deshpande told Press Trust of India today. Goa Police who have launched a massive search for Pacheco, have also issued a look out circular against Mickky at all international airports on Sunday evening. Pacheco could not be traced on Sunday too, even as police are believed to have launched a massive hunt for him. According to sources, the Benaulim legislator managed to slip out of the State and is holding consultations with his team of lawyers over his next move. The police continued their search of the ex-minister on Sunday and raided his house at Betalbatim. Similarly, Nadia’s house at Loutolim was searched as a part of the investigation even as rumours were rife throughout the day that he was likely to appear before the investigating team in Panjim. Meanwhile, the Crime Branch continued interrogation of Nadia’s family – mother Sonia and two brothers, for the third day on Sunday. Women activists Tara Kerkar from Vasco and Auda Veigas from Margao were also

Rescue team saves buried alive labourer

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JUNE 6

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Mickky Pacheco does not surface on Sunday. Police continue hunt. Police search houses of the ex-tourism minister and Nadia. Look out circulars issued to international airports. Indications are that Mickky has slipped out of the State and is holding consultations with team of lawyers on the next course. The Benaulim MLA is likely to seek anticipatory bail. Police claim they want him only for questioning and have not treated him as accused so far. Crime Branch continue interrogation of Nadia’s mother Sonia and two brothers. Women activists Tara Kerkar and Auda Veigas also summoned for interrogation.

summoned for interrogation today. The first post mortem report and dying declarations that were recorded in Mumbai and Chennai in the presence of Sub Divisional Magistrate are yet to be made public.

Nadia, died last Saturday night at Chennai, almost a fortnight after allegedly consuming Ratol. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Pacheco put in his papers from the Digamber Kamat cabinet yesterday before going underground.

Verdict on Bhopal gas tragedy today PTI BHOPAL, JUNE 6

After a trial lasting more than two decades, the judgement on the Bhopal gas tragedy, the world’s worst industrial disaster which killed and maimed thousands of people, would be pronounced tomorrow. Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Mohan P Tiwari will pronounce the judgement after a 23-year-long trial in the toxic leak case from the now defunct Union Carbide factory on the intervening night of December 2 to 3, 1984. During the trial, a total of 178 prosecution witnesses were examined and 3008 documents were produced while eight defence witnesses deposed in the court. Out of the nine accused tried for the offences, R B Roy Choudhary, the then former assistant works manager Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL), Mumbai, died during the trial. The remaining eight accused in the case are Keshub Mahendra, the then UCIL Chairman, Vijay Gokhle, the then Managing Director, Kishore Kamdar, the then Vice President, J Mukund, the then Works Manager, S P Choudhary, the then Production

Manager, K V Shetty, the then plant superintendent, S I Quershi, the then production assistant of UCIL and UCIL Calcutta. The three accused — the then chairman of Union Carbide Corporation of USA Warren Anderson, besides Union Carbide Corporation, USA and Union Carbide Eastern, Hong Kong — escaped the trial. A first information report (FIR) in the tragedy was filed on December 3, 1984 and the case was transferred to CBI on December 6, 1984. The CBI filed the chargesheet after investigation on December 1, 1987. Subsequently, the CJM framed charges against the accused under Section 304 Part (II) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). After the accused moved the apex court, it amended the charges on September 13, 1996 to 304 (A) (causing death by negligence), 336 (acts endangering life or personal safety of others, 337 (causing hurt by endangering life or personal safety of others) and other sections of IPC.

With former Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco going underground since the last two days, skipping his questioning by the Crime Branch during the weekend, there appears a strong possibility of the Benaulim legislator moving the South Goa Sessions Court for anticipatory bail on Monday. Sources in the law enforcing agencies, however, do not rule out a long legal battle for Mickky, even if he obtains bail from the Sessions Court, going by the indications and mood of the police in getting their hands on the flamboyant former minister. That the former minister has been consulting legal experts is no secret, with his Officer on Special Duty, Lyndon Monteiro confirming to Herald on Saturday that a Supreme Court legal counsel was scheduled to come down to Goa to take up the case for the beleaguered member of the legislative assembly (MLA). Incidentally, Monteiro had informed yesterday that Mickky would report to the Crime Branch for the second round of questioning on Saturday evening after the arrival of the legal counsel, but apparently changed

the strategy sensing the mood of the police in alerting the police stations and issuing a look out notice for the former minister. In fact, all eyes are now focused on the South Goa Sessions court on Monday, as expectations are high that the ML A would file his anticipator y bail application through his lawyer. Last year too, Mickky had moved the South Goa Sessions Court for anticipatory bail in the casino extortion case. And, he had obtained the anticipatory bail from the court with conditions that the Crime Branch release the applicant on a bail bond if arrested. A senior police officer, however, said the situation is differe n t n o w, w i t h t h e N a d i a Torraddo death case hogging the limelight, with many questions remaining unanswered till date on the circumstances driving the young woman from Loutolim to commit suicide after allegedly consuming Ratol. Sources in the Pacheco camp, however, are optimistic of getting a bail, as and when he approaches the court, on grounds that he had cooperated with the investigating agency for a full day, when he was grilled by Crime Branch sleuths for around nine hours on Friday.

Narayan Pagui, after he was pulled out from the well on Saturday. Photo by Kathy Pereira HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, JUNE 6

With the authorities and rescue team not leaving any stone unturned, one of the three labourers buried at the Agonda under-construction well site was pulled out alive in the wee hours of Sunday, while the bodies of two other labourers were retrieved at 5 a.m. In an overnight rescue operation that lasted over 12 hours since Saturday evening, authorities including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team withdrew from the site only after 6 am on Sunday. Residents and relatives, who had gathered in large numbers after the unsavoury incident that took place on Saturday at about 5 pm, finally heaved a sigh of relief only at about 1.35 am, when the NDRF team successfully brought alive Narayan Pagui (38) from the imminent jaws of death. It was one of the longest operations ever taken up by the NDRF team, who commenced their salvage operations at about

7 pm on Saturday at the under construction well, which collapsed at Val ward in Agonda. Several tactics were used by the rescue team under the watchful and guiding eyes of South Goa Disaster Management In-charge Ashutosh Apte, Canacona Deputy Collector Deepak Dessai, Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurudas Mhapne, Canacona Police (Continued on page 10)

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