PANAJI: Former Deputy Chief Minister and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) legislator Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavlikar on Monday demanded that Minister for Transport and Panchayats Mauvin Godinho should resign as the cabinet minister so that free and fair investigation is conducted into the death of Merces panchayat member Prakash Naik. “As per what I read, he (Prakash) has committed suicide by shooting himself. But I have doubts that even though he has shot himself, there is something suspicious about it. This is not suicide but murder because he has taken two names, among which one is a brother of a minister. Till now they have not been arrested. It has to be found why they have not been arrested yet,” said Dhavlikar. Stating that the Congress has demanded that the minister should resign immediately, Dhavlikar said, “I also have the same demand. Chief Minister should take it seriously. This is just a start in Goa. After 2002, there have been increase in land mafia in Goa. I don't know what happened in Santa Cruz, but there is a need to inquire into why Naik quit our party. Whether he also was lured into something like getting his land converted.”
Dhavlikar further said, “Whether the message sent was by him (Prakash) or someone else has to be investigated. Police have to do an action plan to find whether there are more people involved other than the two who have been named. There could be more cases like this because as per what I have learnt, in the last 10 years many such cases of land conversions have come up. These things have to stop now, otherwise there can be incidents of suicides and murders on a large scale in future. Not all people can sustain such pressures. CM should look into these matters and take action as per law."