PANJIM: The North Goa Sessions Court, Panjim released on conditional bail Aaron Percy Moniz of Assonora and Ayush Mandrekar of Sirsaim, arrested on the charge of raping a minor girl.
The Court ordered that both the applicants be released on bail bonds of Rs 25,000 with one surety in the like amount. They have been asked to furnish proof of their residence and have been directed not to leave the State without prior permission of the investigating officer.
Both the applicantshave also been directed not to tamper with the evidence and not to contact the victim and any other witnesses in any manner whatsoever either directly through any other person. They have been further directed not to contact the family members of the victim and also not to enter the village where the victim resides.
Both the accused have also been asked to remain present before the investigating officer as and when required by the investigating officer and also before the Court as and when directed.
Following a complaint by the victim’s father on October 11, 2023, the Mapusa police arrested both Moniz and Mandrekar under Sections 363 and 376 of IPC and under Section 8 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and section 8 of Goa Children’s Act.
Arguing on behalf of both the applicants, Adv Babu Korgaonkar claimed that both were innocent and had been falsely implicated and arbitrarily arrested by the police.
Praying to reject both the applications, special public prosecutor A Bhobe told the court that the presence of both the accused were required in police custody to recover the vehicle used in crime, to interrogate them and to deter them from influencing witnesses, destroying evidence and committing similar crime.
In the order, Sessions Judge Sherin G Paul observed that there was no allegation that the applicants had violated the victim in any manner when she was taken away from the lawful custody of parents and kept in the house. There was also no statement made by the victim that she had informed the applicants that one Badal had committed rape on her and that he was refusing to take her home.
