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Goa engineers protest `assault' on colleague

Special Correspondent

PANAJI: The controversy regarding the alleged assault of a junior engineer of the Goa State Electricity Department by Agriculture Minister Francisco Xavier Pacheco took a serious turn with the department engineers going on a strike on Tuesday in protest. The agitating engineers would take out a rally on Wednesday demanding action against Mr. Pacheco.

A junior engineer of the department Kapil Natekar lodged a complaint with the Colva police station on Sunday accusing Mr. Pacheco of assaulting him. Director- General of Police Neeraj Kumar told The Hindu on Tuesday that the police had commenced investigation. "Action will be taken after the formalities are completed as the accused is a Cabinet Minister," Mr. Kumar said. "We have demanded removal of Mr. Pacheco from the Cabinet," Siddharth Sakhardande, president, Electricity Department Junior Engineers' Association, said. The Minister, who denied the assault, has sent a legal notice to the engineer seeking an apology from him for lodging a "false police complaint."

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Goa engineers protest `assault' on colleague

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