Team Herald
PANJIM: Nine women, including six foreign nationals, who were lodged at the protective home at Merces escaped on Monday evening after attacking a staffer and a lady police officer posted on duty.
The six foreigners include four Bangladeshi nationals, a Turkish national and Nepali national.
“Nine women escaped at around 8 pm after overpowering a lady escort who had gone to call them for dinner. Three were apprehended and brought back to the protective home,” Old Goa Police Inspector Krishna Sinari said.
Sinari said that the women snatched the keys from the escort and opened the main door of the home, they then assaulted a lady constable on duty and disappeared into the darkness.
Amongst those who have still not been found are the four Bangladeshi women and the Nepali and Turkish nationals. “All the six women were rescued from the commercial sex trade. All are majors,” an official from Apna Ghar said.
Police have launched a
major search operation to track down the girls, who are important witnesses in various cases booked under the Immoral Trafficking Act by the State police and Crime Branch.
Apna Ghar officials said that the women first assaulted the warden who had gone inside to call them for dinner at 8pm. However, after assaulting the wardenthe women assaulted one lady police constable who was on guard duty and snatched keys from the booth and opened the main gate and escaped before any other staff reached for help.
Sinari said that an offence has been registered against all for escaping from legal custody and for assaulting a public servant.
Sources at the Police Station said they suspect it was a well-planned escape and are looking into all angles to trace the women. Police have not ruled out the possibility of some help from outside in an escape of women.
