IANS

Panaji, Sep 16: The police here are 'unable' to trace Goa Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane who has been accused of threatening an activist lawyer.

The police in this state capital, who were asked by a trial court to serve summons to Rane, told the court Tuesday that the health minister "could not be traced at the given address".

Rane has been accused of threatening to kill lawyer Aires Rodrigues a couple of years ago. He had been directed to present himself at the trial court in Panaji Tuesday.

The Goa police however told the court that Rane could not be traced at his upscale 'Kamat Kinara residential complex' in Miramar, on the outskirts of the capital. The case has been scheduled for next week.

Speaking to IANS, Superintendent of Police (CID) Atmaram Deshpande justified the police team's inability to serve the summons.

"The health minister's house is under renovation. There were only labourers and a contractor there. They did not know where Mr. Rane was put up in the time being," Deshpande said.

Asked whether it was really that difficult for the police to track down a member of the state cabinet of ministers, Deshpande said: "The summons mentioned a specific address and police party had done their job in trying to serve it.

"It is a bit of a grey area. But the court can always issue open summons, without a specified address," he added.