NAVIN JHA
VASCO: Exactly three years ago, a seven-year-old girl was raped in a school toilet at Sada, Vasco. But even after 36 months of investigations by different agencies, including State and Central agencies, no headway has been made in the case despite two sketches of the accused being released. The culprit is still at large and the victim and her parents are helpless.
The case was first taken up by Mormugao Police and then by the Goa Crime Branch. Following a public outcry over their failure to solve the case and bowing to pressure from an NGO, which demanded that the case be investigated by the CBI, the State government wrote to the Delhi Special Police Establishment seeking its consent to investigate the case. The CBI then wrote a letter to the Union Home Ministry stating that it would investigate the case. It took over in September 2013.
For the last 28 months, the CBI has been investigating the case, but it has still not made any headway and is treating it as a blind case, claims the victim’s father. He said, “I will get justice if the authorities work properly and if they truly think that my daughter is their daughter. Sadly, even with the CBI investigating the case, the accused is still absconding. So much evidence was collected by the investigating agencies. Besides that, I had personally given the names and pictures of two suspects to the CBI, asking them to either formally or informally conduct an identification parade of the suspects before my daughter. Forget about the identification parade, the CBI has not even replied to a single letter given to it.”
He further said, “When the case was handed over to the CBI some 28 months ago, CBI officials came to Vasco on two or three occasions to conduct an enquiry, but after that everything was normal, as if it was an end to the investigation. What disappoints me more is that the CBI asks me to visit their office at Bambolim; leaving all my work, I ensured that I was present at the office only to hear that I need to come again with some or the other documents.”
He added, “I am tired of running from pillar to post, seeking justice for my daughter. But still, I will wait until my daughter gets justice and the culprit is put behind bars. I request Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar to intervene and question the CBI and take the case status as I am not getting any help and cooperation from the CBI or Goa Police.”
After the incident, a case was registered under different sections of IPC, including Sections 336 (endangering life or safety of others), 337 (negligence) and Section 8 (1) and (10) (ensuring safe environment and safety of children) of the Goa Children’s Act.
Herald made an effort to contact the concerned officer from the CBI to know the status of the investigations, but the same was futile as the officer was not available on phone.
