AAP says its Goa CM candidate faces arrest

Panaji, Jan 6 (IANS) The AAP on Friday alleged that its Chief Ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes was being victimized at the behest of the Prime Minister's Office and could be arrested on trumped up cases.

"Elvis may be arrested any moment," Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh told the media.

He said a First Information Report was lodged against him. And a day after he was named the AAP Chief Ministerial candidate, the ACB (Anti-Corruption Branch) summoned him.

"Now a day after the elections have been announced, the ACB has started the probe... Can you see a pattern?" Ashutosh told a press conference.

"Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the puppet Chief Minister are behind this. They are acting on the instructions of PMO," Ashutosh added.

The accusations came a day after the former Principal Secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought voluntary retirement, accusing the Central Bureau of Investigation of trying to frame Kejriwal.

Ashutosh said Elvis had been told by his former colleagues in the bureaucracy that his arrest was imminent and that all decisions taken by him as a bureaucrat and as President of the Goa Football Association were being examined by BJP leaders.

"We have been told by our contacts that Elvis Gomes can be arrested. Not only in this case, his files even as Goa Football Association are being looked into. Don't be surprised if he is arrested soon," Ashutosh said.

Gomes has been booked in connection with a land acquisition case along with a former minister in the Congress-led coalition government, Nilkanth Halarnkar.

Gomes has said he was being framed by the Goa government and that he was not even in office when the alleged scam occurred.