Former Tourism Minister in controversy over driving on beach

Goa, March 12: Former Tourism Minister Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco found himself in a controversy after a clipping of him driving an SUV on a South Goa beach and allegedly threatening and assaulting a person went viral on social media on Monday.

Pacheco, on the other hand, insisted he had only gone to pick an ailing friend at nearby Utorda beach village and denied assaulting water sport operator Melroy Da Silva, who uploaded the video clipping about their confrontation on the social media.

The post, which accompanies the video clipping on Facebook, claims that Pacheco ran over a parachute owned by Da Silva's company at Betalbatim beach on Sunday. He alleged that as Da Silva confronted Pacheco at a shack at an adjoining beach at Utorda soon after, the latter and his three friends attempted assault on Da Silva, with the former Minister repeatedly showing him the middle finger.

"... Mickky and his three companions tried to assault me. Mickky even tried to run his vehicle over me," Da Silva said in his Facebook post.