IANS

Panaji, Jul 6: A court here Monday lambasted the jail authorities for not bringing before it Goa's former tourism minister Mickky Pacheco, currently hospitalised after he was sent to judicial custody over the mysterious death of his alleged lover.

Additional Sessions Judge P.Kamat asked the jail officials present to explain both why the minister had not been produced for the hearing pre-scheduled for Monday or why the jail authorities had not been able to furnish an official report of the health of the former minister.

Pacheco was first admitted for chest pain and hypertension and was then "diagnosed" with jaundice by the doctors of the Hospicio government hospital located in Margao, 35 kms from here.

Pacheco had surrendered before a court in Margao Saturday after being on the run for nearly a month.

The Supreme Court had already rejected the former minister's plea for anticipatory bail last Thursday.

Pacheco and his aide Lyndon Monteiro face charges of culpable homicide over Nadia Torrero's death in Chennai May 30. Nadia died after consuming rat poison following an apparent row with Pacheco.

The former minister went underground after being grilled by the Crime Branch for over nine hours June 4.