Nadia Torrado case: Did Goa ex-Minister Pacheco bribe her family?

A Goa court will decide on Thursday whether to grant bail to Mickey Pacheco, the state’s former Tourism Minister, who is missing, and has been named the main suspect in the mysterious death of his girlfriend, Nadia Torrado. (Read: Pacheco files for anticipatory bail, says he is innocent)

The police have suggested that Pacheco attacked Nadia with a blunt weapon before she died, and that he then tried to destroy evidence. It also alleges that Pacheco may have given Nadia’s family close to 35 lakhs to ensure they protect him. Nadia’s brother has allegedly admitted to receiving this money in installments. He has not, however, implicated Pacheco.

Nadia died on May 30 in a Chennai hospital where she had been moved after she allegedly drank rat poison. Her family has offered the baffling explanation, one backed by Pacheco, that Nadia died because she mistakenly used rat poison instead of toothpaste. (Read: 11 injury marks found on body of Goa woman: Police)

While opposing Pacheco’s bail in court on Wednesday, the prosecution said that Pacheco and Nadia’s family had given contradictory statements, pointing to a possible collusion.
Sources tell NDTV that Nadia’s mother, Sonia Torrado, is likely to be arrested soon for destroying evidence. Nadia’s mobile phone, passport, laptop and the crucial tube of rat poison that she is alleged to have consumed have disappeared.

Pacheco’s Officer on Special Duty, Lyndon Monteiro, is also being investigated for playing a role in Nadia’s death. (Read: Pacheco named main suspect in Nadia Torredo’s death)

Women activists in Goa have been arguing that Nadia’s death is not a case of simple suicide. The police now agrees - it believes that her suicide could have been forced. In court, the prosecution said that Pacheco was with Nadia on the night of May 14, hours before she consumed the rat poison that killed her. Phone records show that the then minister was in regular touch with the 27-year-old on May 14.

Pacheco was interrogated for nine hours on Friday. He resigned on Saturday and did not show up for a second round of questioning scheduled by the police. Since then, he has been missing, with the Goa police insisting it has no information on where he might be. That surprises many who point out that Pacheco, a man of local prominence, is easily identifiable.