CURTORIM: Incidents of kidnapping minor children, including students, reported in Salcete has become a cause of concern. In South Goa, 15 cases of kidnapping were reported which include minor girls were reported this year till May 2022. However, police have succeeded in detecting most of these cases.
Police sources said that out of 15 cases they have succeeded in detecting 11 cases and remaining cases are under investigation.
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Police sources revealed in the year 2021, from six villages of Salcete, seven cases of kidnapping were registered of which five were detected then. 4 cases of kidnapping were registered by Margao Police of which two were detected by Maina Curtorim Police and Colva and Fatorda police booked one case each and detected them. No cases were registered by Cuncolim police in that year.
As compared to this in the year 2020 Salcete Police Stations booked eight cases of kidnapping and detected six of them.
It is pertinent to note that no case of kidnapping was registered by Colva Police in 2020.
In 2019, Salcete Police Stations booked a maximum number of 15 cases and detected 12 of them then. Out of these 15 cases six were registered by Maina-Curtorim Police of which 4 were detected. Fatorda police registered four cases and all four were detected. Three were registered by Margao Police of which two were detected. Cuncolim Police registered two cases and both were detected.
Taking note of such cases, South Goa District Police had conducted awareness- cum-sensitisation programme for police on child protection and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012 (POCSO) some months ago.
Police said that in order to increase awareness among police staff with regards to unique challenges faced by children and to sensitize them with dealing on children, a session is likely to be conducted via video conferencing for all police officers and staff of South Goa district police stations.
No case of kidnapping was registered by Colva police station.
Further, in the year 2018 from January to June for six months South Goa police station had booked 19 cases of kidnapping and had detected 16 of them. While in 2017 from January to June South Goa Police booked 14 cases of kidnapping and detected all these cases.
It is pertinent to note that a total number of 16 cases of kidnapping took place in the South Goa district in the year 2020 of which 8 were reported in Salcete while in the year 2019 the number of kidnapping cases had increased and its number had gone up to 25 of which 20 were detected by South Goa police.
