-- Samir Umarye PANAJI: A 20-year-old girl was forcibly taken away from Mapusa and allegedly raped by three persons at Latambarcem village in Bicholim for five days.
The police got cracking on the case after the girl's father reported about his missing daughter on April 14. The girl had left the house, stating that she was going to the temple on April 13, which was a Saturday. After waiting till late evening, the father rushed to the police station, lodged the missing complaint and gave his daughter's mobile number to the police. Police said that they obtained call details on the girl's mobile number and traced her calls to Pradip Malik. The police traced him to Latambarcem and arrested him from a house on Thursday but did not find the girl. After being interrogated, Malik admitted that the girl had already left for Mapusa by public transport. Police immediately contacted the Carasvaddo police outpost and asked them to stop the bus. The police intercepted the bus at Carrasvaddo, Mapusa, and asked the girl to alight. She was taken to the police station and was later referred for a medical examination where doctors confirmed the rape. Pradip, who was interrogated, named another person, Chandrasekhar Malik as also being involved in the sexual assault of the girl. But, police said the main accused, who is identified only as 'Deepak' is yet to be arrested. The girl's father, in his complaint, said that the accused taking advantage of the mental illness of his daughter abducted her and wrongfully confined her at an unknown destination. Police has booked the case under Sections 376, 365, 354, and 342 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).(ToI)
