The Goa State Child Rights Protection Commission on Saturday wrote to state-run child care home Apna Ghar directing them to not hand over the minor rape victim to her parents or any caretaker under any circumstances. The letter further directed them to intimate the Commission of the child care plan and safety measures adopted by Apna Ghar for her, considering the seriousness of the case.
An unattached MLA and former Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate is in police custody for allegedly raping the minor girl, who was employed in his shop.
Sources in the Commission told The Hindu that it has marked a copy of the letter to SP Karthik Kashyap, who heads the crime branch.
They added that the chairperson of the Commission, Sushma Kirtani, swung into action when she learned that the victim’s mother was seeking her custody. “When the mother has been considered an abettor to the crime along with the father who, according to media reports, had sexually molested the girl, how can the custody of the victim be given to such persons?”
The Commission’s letter has asked Apna Ghar authorities. It also asked them to tighten security measures for the victim's safety and security and deploy two special guards for her security.
The Child Rights committee has also been informed about the issue, sources in the Commission said, adding they have been monitoring the case on a regular basis.
However, police said the mother and her accomplice are both under arrest and as such the possibility of them taking possession of the victim is ruled out while agreeing that her safety was paramount and a concern.
