Mapusa police wanted wife to “settle” as husband raped her mother, sister and assaulted her repeatedly

TEAM HERALD

Panjim: For the second time in recent memory the Mapusa police led by Tushar Vernekar has allowed  the repeated sexual assault and rape by men known to them, refusing to register cognizable cases and make arrests, allowing the rapists to continue to terrorise and brutalise them. In the most recent case where a man from Mapusa raped his mother and sister in-law and unleashed a trail of brutality on his wife, without even sparing his minor daughter of his sexual advances. The Mapusa police preferred to deal with this by registering non- cognizable cases and asking the victims to “settle” the issue with the rapists

The case was finally registered after even the Women’s Police Station turned the wife of the man away as she desperately sought for police help, asking her to contact an NGO instead. Herald has learnt that for nearly four months, Mapusa PI Tushar Vernekar has been warding off all attempts made by the brutalised women for protection and the arrest of this absolutely deranged criminal of a man, the last of which was on September 12 when his wife and mother-in-law pleaded that the police intervene to save them, from this man in their family. Vernekar, asked to “settle” the issue with her husband. Shocked and dejected, both women went back despite producing all details including the previous non-cognizable offenses registered against the man. 

The same Vernekar, had refused to register a case against the brutes of Camurlim, neighbours of a single woman who was raped by a man and chilly powder stuffed in to her insides by her mother over a property issue. 

The story dates back to the time when she met this man – a smart dresser on a bus while on her way to work. They were living together for 12 years before getting married. But their marriage was not registered with the state authorities. They have two children aged 9 and 10 years old. The woman alleged that her husband – a non Goan- has been ruthlessly assaulting her and demanding money for alcohol. 

Over two and half years ago, the situation got worse. The rapist’s sister, married to a foreign national and of good means lost her husband. The mother of these sisters lived with the just widowed daughter and she asked her other daughter (wife of the man who was beating her) to move so that she could live with both her daughters and there would be a man in the house, after the loss of one daughter’s husband. Little did she know that she was inviting a monster in.

But this man, the brute husband had other ideas in his new home of his sister in-law. Now he had three women to terrorise.

In a shameless act he allegedly raped his mother-in-law after taking her into a forested area on the Goa Maharashtra border on the pretext of picking her up from her work place some six months back. The horrific story did not end here because he subsequently raped his challenged sister-in-law and sexually assaulted his minor daughter.

This saga continued as he repeatedly raped his sister in law in her own house; and assaulted and beat up his wife and asked for money. And his mother in law continued to be a mute victim to his sexual torture too. According to the NGO and police, he made sexual advances on his minor daughter too.

The police were almost mute witnesses to the sordid, horrific story with the police inspector in the case Tushar Vernekar asking the victim to settle the matter. When the husband learnt of his wife’s attempts to reach the police, he stepped up beatings leading to an even worse beating for the wife and greater demands for money.

Vernekar’s refusal to file a complaint on September 12  had an immediate fallout. On September 15, the husband beat his wife up badly demanding Rs 4 lakhs. In utter desperation she went to the Women’s Police Station which also refused to register her complaint and instead sent her to an NGO. A complaint was filed.The victims have even alleged that Vernekar asked the wife to arrange for money and give it to her husband to control him 

As it was late and she had to go and pick up her daughter, she went back home. At that time too, she had recorded her apprehension that he would beat her up and all that the police did was give her some help line numbers. But they were of no help. 

On the night of September 16, he came back fully drunk and beat her up mercilessly. Her mother called up ‘100’ and shockingly she was told that she should come to come to the police station the next morning.

The she came back to the NGO who then took her to the police station insisted that the case be filed. The case was finally filed and the man has been arrested and jailed, a place he should have been months ago.