Even after the ar rest of the accused in the al leged rape of a 23-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh, serious questions contin ue to hang over the initial handling of her complaint by Calangute Police, with authorities yet to explain the nearly 38-hour delay in registering the FIR or the circumstances under which a written undertaking was allegedly obtained from the survivor stating that the sexual intercourse had been consensual. The rape investigation has gathered pace, but the inquiry into the conduct of the police personnel who first dealt with the survi vor’s complaint remains shrouded in uncertainty.
The survivor has alleged that after approaching Calangute Police Station following the alleged sex ual assault, she was dis couraged from pursuing a rape complaint and in stead asked to sign a writ ten declaration stating that the sexual intercourse had been consensual. She has further alleged that she was subsequently sent out of Goa before eventually re turning to pursue the case, following which the FIR was registered. While police have denied parts of the survivor’s al legations, they have so far not publicly clarified why the FIR was not registered when she first approached the police station or under what circumstances the written undertaking was obtained.
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Meanwhile, Awadesh Rai, a spa operator in North Goa’s coastal belt who was arrested by Calangute Po lice on Monday for alleg edly raping the 23-year-old woman, was on Tuesday remanded to three days’ police custody by the Judi cial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Mapusa. Rai has been booked under Sec tions 316, 64, 127(2) and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. According to the FIR, Rai allegedly induced the woman to travel to Goa on the false promise of employment, sexually as saulted her after arranging accommodation for her in Calangute, wrongfully con fined her, and threatened to kill her if she attempted to leave. Police have confirmed that the survivor has un dergone a forensic medi cal examination and that her statement under the relevant provisions of law is scheduled to be re corded before a Judicial Magistrate on Wednes day as the investigation progresses.
However, with the accused now in police custody, the fo cus has increasingly shifted beyond the allegations against him to whether the internal inquiry will also examine the actions of police personnel during the survivor’s first visit to Calangute Police Station. Porvorim Sub-Divisional Police Officer Vishwesh Karpe said the inquiry would encompass every allegation levelled by the survivor. “The inquiry is underway and all the allegations made by the victim will be thoroughly verified,” Karpe said. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Adv. Amit Palekar, who visited Calangute Police Station on Tuesday to review the progress of the investigation, said the manner in which the complaint was initially handled was deeply concerning. “Whatever has happened is wrong. I have instructed the police to investigate this case strictly in accordance with the law and the various judgments of the Supreme Court,” he said.
Social activist Tara Kerkar said the allegations had raised troubling questions about the professionalism with which sensitive crimes are being handled. “The police have displayed a very shoddy way of investi gation, giving a dent to the image of Goa Police nationally. I will be personally monitoring this case and help the poor victim. I urge the police to be disciplined while handling such sensitive cases,” Kerkar told O Heraldo. With the survivor’s statement before the Judicial Magis trate expected to be recorded on Wednesday and forensic evidence now forming part of the prosecution’s case, the in vestigation into the alleged rape has entered a crucial stage.
