Panaji: Goa Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco was arrested on Tuesday before being released on a personal bond after a casino dealer accused him of extortion, police said.
Pacheco was arrested under section 506 (ii) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for criminal intimidation and was immediately released on a Rs 5,000 bond and on furnishing a local surety.
The news of the arrest was kept under wraps all day. Speaking to IANS late on Tuesday night, Crime Branch Police Inspector Sunita Sawant confirmed the minister's arrest.
"He has been arrested under section 506 (ii) of IPC. Monteiro (Goa Tourism Development Corporation vice chairman Lyndon Monteiro) was his local surety. We have asked him to remain present at the Crime Branch on Wednesday for further enquiries," Sawant said.
Pacheco was booked by the Crime Branch on September 17 for allegedly extorting Rs 3.69 lakh, assaulting casino staffers and threatening them with dire consequences.
Earlier in the day, the Crime Branch officials interrogated him for nearly two hours in connection with the extortion case.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Crime Branch Chandrakant Salgaonkar had then ruled out Pacheco's arrest.
"We have recorded his statement. We may be calling him once again for more clarifications and questions in connection with the case," Salgaonkar had said in the morning.
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