A terrifying midnight attack at the Nayak residence turned into a remarkable story of courage after a 15-year-old girl—Radha (name changed)—fearlessly confronted seven armed dacoits and helped save her family. Even as the attackers assaulted her parents and grandmother, leaving them severely injured, the teenager refused to back down.
When her father Sagar was repeatedly struck with an iron rod, Radha stepped forward, shielding him and taking a blow on her own arm. What followed after the assailants fled showcased her extraordinary clarity and determination. Despite her injuries and with her hands tightly bound, she managed to free herself and immediately worked to untie her parents and grandmother, all tied up and bleeding on the balcony.
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Realising the main door had been bolted from outside, cutting off all access to help, Radha climbed out through the kitchen window—the same entry point used by the dacoits. She reached a neighbouring flat, only to find that door also bolted from outside to prevent anyone from responding. She unlatched it, banged repeatedly, and when no one answered, began running down the staircase, knocking on every door she passed.
On the first floor, Prasad, a resident, finally responded to her desperate ringing. Within minutes, he and other neighbours rushed to rescue the injured family. Meanwhile, Sagar, having freed the gag from his mouth, shouted for help from the balcony, prompting residents in nearby buildings to alert authorities. The family was quickly taken to hospital as police reached the scene to secure the apartment.
Details from the ongoing investigation highlight the full extent of Radha’s bravery. South Goa MP Capt. Viriato Fernandes, who has written to the Chief Minister seeking national recognition for her, said the teenager even pleaded with the assailants to spare her parents and offered them her piggy bank savings in a desperate attempt to protect her family.
Calling her a “beacon of resistance” against violent crime, Capt. Fernandes has urged that she be recommended to the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2026, as well as state bravery honours like the Veerjyoti Puraskar or Rakshak Puraskar. He said he would also write to the Prime Minister, describing Radha as “the pride of Goa.”
The attack on the Nayak family was brutal and traumatic, but amid the violence emerged the extraordinary courage of a young girl. In the darkest moment of her life, Radha became her family’s lifeline — and now stands as a powerful symbol of bravery for the entire state.
