Relatives claim 10-year-old girl was sexually assaulted twice
TEAM HERALD
VASCO: The hotel security guard accused in the sexual assault of a 10-yr-old orphan girl at Bogmalo was arrested following a prolonged manhunt at Bambolim on Tuesday, but he has now been accused of having sexually assaulted the victim on two occasions within three days. Two other persons have also been arrested on charges of allowing the accused to flee from the site on Monday.
As soon as Vasco Police was informed that the security officer, identified as Partha Pritam Kar of Tripura, had escaped into the forest behind the Lusofonia games stadium at Bambolim on Monday, a police team along with some security staff cordoned off the area and started combing the forest in search of the accused.
“The manhunt continued throughout Monday night and Tuesday. Realizing that there was no way to escape from the clutches of the police, the accused came out of his hiding place and tried to flee from the site,” said a police official.
“The accused was, however, identified by the security guards who were assisting the police in the manhunt and Kar was arrested after a short chase.
Meanwhile, the shocking disclosure about the double sexual assault on the minor girl came to light on Tuesday when the victim’s uncle and aunt narrated the sequence of events since
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Saturday, when Kar had first sexually assaulted the girl.
Speaking to Herald, the victim’s uncle informed that the girl is his brother’s daughter and following the death of her parents, she had been frequently visiting them from her native place and eventually began staying with them.
“She has been staying with us on a regular basis since the last three months,” said the uncle.
The victim’s aunt informed that the accused had gagged the girl’s mouth while she was cleaning utensils on Saturday afternoon.
“He took her into some bushes, where he allegedly raped her. After committing the heinous crime, he threatened the victim at knife point and warned her not to reveal the incident to her family, failing which he would kill the victim and the family,” informed the aunt.
“The girl fell unconscious and when she regained consciousness, she found herself without clothes. After picking up her clothes, she rushed home but she was frightened by his threat and did not inform us about the incident.”
“On Monday afternoon, the girl was again lifted by the accused while she was cleaning the utensils outside our house. He took her to the bushes behind the house and raped her for the second time. This time too, the accused had threatened her with dire consequences,” the aunt said.
When asked about their presence at the time of incident on both days, the aunt informed that she has a shop at Bogmalo beach, where she sells garments, while her husband drops their children to school and does other work.
The uncle told Herald that when they were informed about both incidents, the accused was given a sound thrashing and was locked in his rented room.
“We requested the house owner not to open the door till the police could arrive and arrest the accused,” said the uncle.
When asked why they had not immediately filed a police complaint, the aunt said she and her husband were in shock on learning about the double sexual assault on their niece.
“We immediately called our relatives and requested them to lodge a police complaint. While we were busy contacting our relatives, an officer of the security agency came to the room and opened the room door with the help of the owner and the accused went with the security officer,” said the uncle.
“The security officer told the crowd, which had gathered at the site, that he was taking the accused with him and that he would produce him before the police, as and when the accused was required by the police.”
On hearing about the incident, the security officer rushed to Bogmalo and took the accused with him and released him at the Bambolim plateau, from where the accused had fled away.
Vasco Police swung into action and late Monday night arrested the house owner, Ramchandra Raikar, and security officer, Laximan Shamolao Jadav, for allegedly assisting Kar to flee from the site.
Vasco PSI John Fernandes is investigating the case under the supervision of the Mormugao DySP Laurence D’Souza and Vasco PI Rupendra Shetgaonkar.
Meanwhile, the Goa Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has condemned the rape and has expressed alarm at the deteriorating law and order situation in the State.
“AAP (Goa) also demand to know what steps the State government plans to take to protect our women and children and prevent such dastardly acts in the future,” stated the press note.
