PANJIM/ANJUNA: It started off as a fight with dad, because he was neglecting her and ended up in a gruesome orgy of violence as she was repeatedly raped by ‘clients’ in Orissa and then brought to Goa to be similarly sold for commercial sex. This would have continued under the noses of our police if the 16-year-old victim hadn’t dialled 100 and begged for help.
The police responded and rescued the 16-year-old and arrested seven persons, including three pimps, on Monday night, when they attempted to sell her to a client for prostitution at a beachside hotel at Arpora.
Neglected by her father, the Class 10 student’s ordeal began soon after she ran away from her house in Rourkela (Orissa) on June 19 to meet her Facebook friend in Cuttack the following day. She was picked and dropped at a hotel where she stayed for two days.
According to information exclusively shared with Herald, the victim had accompanied her online friend and another male to a pool party in Cuttack where she was introduced to a disc jockey, who on the duo’s request allowed her to stay in his house for a night.
On June 23, she was shifted to one of his contacts – Rubina’s rented house. It was since this horrific day that the victim, whose medical tests at Goa Medical College confirmed repeated rape, began her horrendous journey and was sold as ‘commercial sex worker’ to various clients in Cuttack. Her most tragic mistake – she escaped from her Rourkela house because her father neglected her, after her mother’s death.
“He (DJ) took me to Rubina’s house. She told me that if I have to stay with her, then I have to go out and sleep with other person(s) so that my expenses are taken care of,” the girl told the Anjuna police and Victims’ Assistance Unit.
A middle-aged person Tantu, who coerced her into drinking liquor before raping her; has been identified as the one who committed the first rape on her. The investigation also revealed that Rubina, her husband Ghansham alias Raju, and Santosh alias Rahul Gochhi arranged for clients at the couple’s house or hotels in Cuttack.
Their servant Narayan Lala kept a watch on the victim to ensure she does not escape. “He (Lala) was always there outside (the hotels) to collect me and take me back (to Rubina-Raja’s house),” she revealed adding she was beaten whenever she attempted to flee from their clutches.
Her ordeal did not end here as the seven persons – Rubina, Raju, Lala, Suraj Raut alias Chandan, Santanu Kumar Das, Deeptimayee alias Rinki Barik, and Rahul alias Santosh – currently behind bars brought her to Goa via Mumbai on July 9.
She was then taken to a farmhouse near a beach from where the accused took her to various hotels and clients. “Rubina called her (male) friend …he got a taxi and took us to his farmhouse near a beach… I don’t know the location,” she said.
On the day, she was rescued, the pimps had fixed a deal with at least three persons not realizing the victim will call the police for help. She was rescued after a call at police control room at about 3pm.
Anjuna Police Inspector Paresh Naik refused to provide details of the ongoing investigation citing ‘sensitivity of the case.’ He however did not rule out the possibility of further arrests.
