PANAJI/margao: The state Tourism Minister, Mr Francisco Xavier Pacheco, who is being probed by the criminal investigating department of the state police in the death of his friend Nadia Torreado, resigned from the cabinet, skipped the probe by the police and went into hiding on Saturday, apparently to evade arrest.

With Mr Pacheco failing to turn up for further probe on Saturday morning at the CID headquarters at Dona Paula, the Crime Branch issued a look out notice for him and all the police stations have been alerted in the state to prevent him from going out and to detain him wherever he is traced.
Accordingly, police personnel were stationed at all exit points including both the terminals at the airport, railway stations and exit points by road. Police have sent the look out notice to national and international airports and other important points in India. The Crime Branch has given all details of the passport and other details of Mr Pacheco in the look out notice. Directions have been given to the in-charge of all police stations in the state to trace Mr Pacheco. “We have not registered any separate offence against Mr Pacheco, however, Maina Curtorim police had registered the offence under Section 306 of IPC,” said one police officer. 
A Crime Branch team on Saturday afternoon visited Fatorda, Borda, Betalbatim and Loutolim in search of Mr Pacheco. Police said that they checked all his family friends’ places. “We have checked all important places Mr Pacheco used to visit, however, so far he has not been traced,” said one officer of Maina Curtorim police.
The police were not able to locate the former minister till late in the night, even as they refuted the talks of him leaving the state to evade the police from arresting him. Police, however, remained tight lipped on the issue. One senior official said that the law would take its own course adding that no one can escape from law forever.
With the Nationalist Congress Party president, Mr Sharad Pawar directing Mr Pacheco to quit immediately from the cabinet apparently after he was informed of the findings of police in the high profile case, and faced with the prospects of being “unceremoniously” dropped if he defied his party high command, Mr Pacheco saw the writing on the wall and put in his papers.
The sources in the government said that Mr Pawar gave the tainted minister just half an hour to submit his resignation and that he was also told that in case the resignation did not reach the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, he was free to drop him from the cabinet.
Mr Pacheco first sent his resignation to the Chief Minister and later sent the original, which was forwarded to the Governor, Dr Shivinder Singh Sidhu with recommendation that it be accepted. The resignation was thereafter accepted by the Governor on Saturday afternoon, said sources in the Raj Bhavan.
The Chief Minister, while addressing an impromptu press conference on the sidelines of an inaugural programme in the city told journalists that he had talked to the NCP chief in the morning following which he received the resignation from his colleague, who was embroiled in the controversy. He further said that he had forwarded the resignation to the Governor for acceptance.
Responding to a query on whether the recent happenings involving his cabinet colleague would tarnish the image of his government, he said that an individual would reflect on the person concerned and not on his administration or the government.
As regards to filling up the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr Pacheco, Mr Kamat said that the high commands of both the pre-poll alliance partners would sit together and discuss the issue and that the swearing in would be held at appropriate time. The NCP, however, said that since one of their MLA has resigned the vacancy should be filled by inducting their elected representative.
The All India Congress Committee president, Mr B K Hariprasad said that the Congress high command had told the Chief Minister to seek resignation from the tainted minister at the earliest. The Congress did not want to unceremoniously drop the minister but wanted to persuade him to voluntarily give up the post.
Sources in the police revealed that the investigating agency had found something incriminating against Mr Pacheco, which could have led to his arrest and which prompted the high profile NCP leader to skip questioning by the CID on Saturday. The sources, however, refused to divulge the contents of their finding.
Meanwhile, CID sleuths continued to question Ms Sonia Torreado, mother of Nadia, at the headquarters on Saturday. The maid servant was also interrogated on Saturday. The questioning continued till late in the evening. It is learnt that Ms Sonia and others have been called again on Sunday to appear before the Crime Branch investigating police officer.