Photos of me with drug case accused are tampered with: Goa CM

Panaji, Aug 26 (IANS) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday accused an Opposition MLA of tampering with a photograph to show that a small-time Bollywood actor who was arrested last week in a drug-related case, had met Sawant on the latter's birthday this year.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Sawant said the Opposition MLA Rohan Khaunte, had cropped the date out of the Instagram screenshot, to show that the meeting between Kapil Jhaveri -- who was arrested for organising an illegal rave party last week -- and him was held during the Chief Minister's birthday on April 24 this year.

"The Opposition MLA is trying to distract attention from the main issue. He has cropped the image to hide the real date," Sawant said. The Chief Minister's meeting with Jhaveri was held on January 2 instead, following a formal appointment protocol, Sawant's office has said.

On Tuesday, former Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte had alleged that Sawant and several senior state BJP leaders were associated with Jhaveri and had shown photos featuring Jhaveri along with Sawant and other ruling politicians, as proof of the association.

Khaunte made the allegations after one of his close aides Shailesh Shetty was also arrested on August 19 for co-organising the rave party and was booked under sections of the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act by the Goa Police Crime Branch officials.

--IANS

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