PANAJI: Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has demanded that Minister for Transport and Panchayats Mauvin Godinho should immediately resign as cabinet minister to ensure impartial investigation into the death of Merces panchayat member Prakash Naik. GPCC president Girish Chodankar said that Wilson Godinho, an elder brother of the minister, has been named in the Whatsapp message that was sent by Naik seconds before his death. Naik had allegedly committed suicide at his residence in Merces on Friday morning. In a Whatsapp message sent, he had named two persons responsible for his death.
“Congress earlier refused to comment on this unfortunate incident, but now the family members are expressing their doubts about the death. Congress was waiting and watching the investigation by Goa Police. But as the time passed, Wilson Godinho’s name has been getting prominently figured in the case. Even the family members of Naik have named him while addressing a press conference on Saturday,” said Chodankar. “We demand that Mauvin should immediately step down from the State Cabinet or Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should sack him to ensure that the investigation in the case is impartial and the one who is found involved in the act be punished,” Chodankar said. Chodankar said that it is obvious that there would be political pressure on the Investigating Officer as Godinho is a senior member in the cabinet. “Naik’s death has sent shockwaves amongst the people, especially his family members and friends. His family members are not able to believe that the person with such mighty guts and willpower would end his life in this fashion,” he said. “Detailed investigation into this incident can help police to dig into a larger conspiracy. But for that, the police should be given free hand,” Chodankar said.