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Bigamy charges baseless: Goa minister
Goa Tourism Minister Fransisco Pacheco has denied charges of bigamy against him stating that they were baseless.
Goa Tourism Minister Fransisco Pacheco has denied charges of bigamy against him stating that they were baseless.
"I have only one wife with whom my relations are strained due to which I am facing all these allegations," Pacheco told PTI here.
Pacheco has been in the news for a bigamy suit filed against him by his wife recently and his reported statement that he could have "as many women in his life as he wanted". "I was misunderstood. When I said that I can have as many women as I want, I meant that I can have as many women friends as possible. In public life we meet all kinds of people whom we can befriend. I do not distinguish between male and female friends as long as they are genuine," the minister said.
His wife Sara, had, in 2005, filed a written complaint against him alleging bigamy. Copies of the complaint were sent to the state chief minister, Governor and even the Prime Minister and President.
Sara has now filed a bigamy suit against him and has gone public with allegations stating that Pacheco is living with a lady called Viola and has three children with her. "Viola is my friend and she has stood with me in troubled times," he said.
On the issue of the children, Pacheco said that it was a completely a personal matter which he did not wish to debate in public.
"Police had investigated the complaint then (in 2005) and closed the matter. I don't know why suddenly the issue has cropped up again," he said.
