Team Herald
MARGAO: Melvin Antonio Fernandes (23) has been arrested for kidnapping and raping a minor girl. The accused has been remanded in police custody for 10 days.
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Seafarer by occupation, the accused is a resident of Moll, Sao Jose de Areal and was arrested by the Maina Curtorim police station on Thursday.
On Wednesday, police registered an offence of a minor girl aged 13 years having been kidnapped. The parents realised that the girl has been kidnapped after she did not return from the school.
The police, then, launched a massive search operation in and around the place where the girl was last seen, to trace the kidnapped girl. Movements of all suspects in the vicinity and near the victim’s house were verified. Also movements of her friends and acquaintances were checked. After a while the police zeroed down on one of her acquaintances namely Melvin Fernandes, who was also known to the family of the victim.
Meanwhile, information was received that the villagers of Ambaulim found the victim girl abandoned at Ambaulim hillock in an unconscious state with injuries on her face and head. She was immediately shifted to hospital for treatment where she is presently kept under observation.
Suspect Melvin Antonio Fernandes was subsequently arrested from his residence late night and upon thorough interrogation and confrontation with evidence collected by the team, he confessed of having kidnapped the minor girl after school hours and took her to Ambaulim hillock on his scooter. As she was not allowing him to kiss and was not cooperating, he assaulted her with slaps and banged her head on the ground and also sexually assaulted her. As the victim became unconscious, he abandoned her and fled from the scene of crime.
The scooter used in the crime has been attached.
Initially, the accused was booked under Section 363 of IPC and Section 8 of Goa Children Act. But upon medical examination report, Section 307, 376 IPC and section 4 of POCSO Act have been added to the case.
