‘Missing’ rape victim could have gone for a wedding, says Carlos Ferreira

The Goa Congress legal cell chairman says the victim might return to the shelter home in South Goa, from where she went missing

Congress Candidate Girish Chodankar with the late Manohar Parrikar. File

The “missing” rape victim may not be missing at all, but could have gone for a party or a wedding, said Carlos Ferreira, Goa Congress legal cell chairman, on Tuesday. Mr. Ferreira was addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters in the city. [It might be noted that in 2016, the victim had accused Atanasio Monserrate of alleged rape. Mr. Monserrate is now the Congress candidate of Panaji bypoll.]

Mr. Ferreira said the victim was a minor at the time of the alleged “rape” and is now a major. She might return to the shelter home in South Goa, from where she went missing on April 28. “Police cannot file a case of abduction because she is now a major. The case is motivated,” Mr. Ferreira said.

Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar also expressed suspicion if the BJP was behind the “sudden disappearance” of the rape victim. Mr. Chodankar accused the BJP of “engineering” the controversy to draw political mileage ahead of the bypoll.

“The girl went missing on April 28 and the BJP, with the help of the police, is raking this controversy now for political benefit. The BJP has resorted to such unscrupulous tactics in the past. The police is helping the BJP-led coalition government to create a situation and get political mileage,” Mr. Chodankar charged.

“Their plan is to create an atmosphere of confusion before the election. The victim may return to the shelter home after elections. The government and the police should provide protection to her at the earliest,” added Mr. Chodankar.

Nuns who run the shelter home filed a “missing” complaint with the Verna police station in South Goa on April 28. On Monday, the police updated the complaint by adding Section 362 (Abduction) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to it.

Police sources said the victim had also “disappeared” on four occasions in the past and had returned to the shelter home on each occasion.

Last year, Monserrate was charge-sheeted under Section 376 of IPC and Section 506 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act for allegedly raping the then minor girl.