By IANS,
Panaji : The Goa Police is looking into a complaint of bigamy filed against a cabinet minister in the Goa government, a spokesperson said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Umesh Gaonkar said the complaint of bigamy filed by Sara Pacheco against her alleged husband Tourism Minister Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco had been sent to the prosecution department for a legal opinion.
The bigamy complaint was filed by Sara Pacheco on Mickky Pacheco’s birthday Dec 12.
The police took cognizance of the case after the matter was reported in the media.
“We have sent the complaint to the director of prosecution. We will act after we receive a legal opinion on it, as both the complainant and the minister have not been living together for nearly four years now,” Gaonkar said.
Sara Pacheco had lodged her complaint before the police as well as the block development officer (BDO), who is empowered as a protection officer under the Domestic Violence Act.
In her complaint Sara Pacheco claimed that she was married to Mickky Pacheco April 10, 1999 and the marriage was duly registered with the Margao sub registrar.
“My husband who was very good to me and was deeply in love with me, suddenly changed after he got elected as a legislator and became minister in 2002. It is at this time that he began to stray and chase other women and accused me of being fat and ugly,” the complaint reads, adding that she was forced to quit the house in 2004, “practically only with the dress I was wearing”.
“I am now left penniless while my minister husband Mickky Pacheco is enjoying the wealth that belongs jointly to both of us. He has now married Viola Rosaline Fernandes and has three children through her,” the complaint alleges.
When contacted, the tourism minister Mickky Pacheco refuted the charges.
“Bigamy occurs only when you are married twice. I am married only once,” was his only refrain. Pacheco Pacheco said that he was willing to depose before any authority if required.