Goa, August 7: In the wee hours of Sunday, July 25, a hideous incident took place in Goa; gang rape of two minor girls by four men at Benaulim beach in Goa. The four, one of them a state government employee, posed as policeman and allegedly raped the two minor girls after beating up the boys who accompanied them with rods. Goa has been, till now, believed to be among the safest places for women in India.

The incident occurred at an isolated spot on Benaulim beach, around 30 km south of Goa’s capital, Panaji; but this gang rape was not an remote case – within a week there has been reports of two more gang rape cases in the state.

The two victims are reported to have appeared before the Colva police station on Sunday evening after the accused allegedly tried to extort money from them by threatening to make viral the video of the incident, which they had captured on their mobile phone.

The Colva police, on Monday apprehended all four persons accused of raping the two minors. Those arrested have been identified as 34 year old Rajesh Mane (a state government employee in the Agriculture Department), 31 year old Gajanand Chinchankar, 21 year old Asif Hateli and 19 year old Nitin Yabbal.

Women’s rights activist Auda Viegas was also called to the police station to speak to the two minor victims.

The accused persons have been booked under sections 419, 354 (A), 323, 506 (II), 376 of the Indian Penal Code , section 4, 7, 11(V) of POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) and 8 (2) of Goa’s Children Act.

To make matters worse, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, “When 14-year olds stay on the beach the whole night, the parents need to introspect. Just because children don’t listen, we cannot put the responsibility on the government and police.”

Rightfully the opposition saw the statement to be reprehensible. Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai said it is disgusting that the chief minister is making such statements. “The safety of citizens is the responsibility of police and state government. If they can't provide it to us, the CM has no right to sit in the post,” he added.

“It is shocking that @goacm is blaming parents for allowing their children to venture out in the night claiming that it is not safe. If State govt can't assure us our security, who can give it? Goa has a history of being safe state for women, that tag is being lost in @BJP4Goa rule,” tweeted Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte.

Soon after, the Goa Congress leader Altone D’Costa said: “Why should we fear while moving around at night? Criminals should be in jail and law abiding citizens should be out freely moving around”.

Another appalling case has been reported on Thursday, a 25 year old Assamese girl, who was lured to Goa on the pretext of job, was allegedly locked up and gang raped for three days in Quepem area of South Goa.

Two people have been arrested by the Police in Quepem in connection with the matter, a police official said. A complaint has been registered under sections 376 (rape) and 343 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).  

The accused, identified as Shambhunath Singh (32), a resident of Delhi, and Sudhakar Naik (63), who resides in South Goa, have been remanded to five days police custody.

The incident came to light when the survivor escaped the flat where she was being kept by the accused and called the police control room.

After the survivor reached Goa on July 26, Singh accompanied her and took her to his sister’s flat, around 1km from Quepem town. On Wednesday, Singh invited his friend Naik to his sister’s flat and they had liquor. Later, the survivor was sexually assaulted.

Yet another horrific incident has surfaced involving a rape case of a 19 year old by truck drivers in Ponda sub district. Two truck drivers have been arrested for another gang rape case that has been reported at Usgao.

As per the information received, the 19-year-old girl from Pernem was raped by two truckers from Honda Sattari, inside their car at Usgao in June. The crime came to light after her parents took her to a doctor as she had missed her menstrual cycle.

The girl has been sent for medical examination.

Deputy SP Nelson Albuquerque has confirmed that the two accused, residing in Ponda, have been arrested.

Together, these three incidents have put the treasury benches on the back foot, with the opposition accusing the Sawant-led government of allowing the law and order mechanism in the state to crumble.

“This is a matter of shame. The police machinery appears to be virtually non-existent in Goa,” said Digambar Kamat, Leader of the Opposition and Congress MLA.