Mauvin Godinho must quit for impartial probe in death case: Congress

PANAJI: No sooner the FIR was registered in the Merces panch Prakash Naik death case, Congress demanded that BJP minister Mauvin Godinho immediately step down from the cabinet to ensure an impartial investigation into the death. Godinho's brother, Wilson was named in the FIR.
"We demand that Mauvin should immediately step down from the cabinet, or chief minister Pramod Sawant should sack him to ensure that the investigation in the case is impartial, and the one found responsible for the crime should be punished," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar stated.
If Godinho doesn't step down from the cabinet, the party demanded that the chief minister should sack him so that those involved can be punished.
"It is obvious that there would be political pressure on the investigating officer as Godinho is a senior member in the cabinet," Chodankar stated.
The party hit out at the minister for defecting to BJP from Congress, and alleged he did so to "get out of corruption charges levelled against him in the past by the same party".
"The death also indicates how the land mafia has been operating in the state under BJP-led government's rule. A detailed investigation into this incident can help police unearth a larger conspiracy. But for that, the police should be provided a free hand," the state Congress president said.
Police had said that Naik allegedly shot himself dead at his residence in Merces on Friday minutes after posting a message on WhatsApp that he was "under tremendous pressure" from two persons over a property matter, which he could not "handle".
In the message, the former Merces sarpanch and sitting panch had stated he was tired of everything in life because of the "harassment" with regards to a garden at Voilem Bhat in Merces, police said.
He also said the two persons should compensate his family with Rs 2 crore, police said.