It's been a week since the semi-nude body of the 19-year-old Nachinola girl was found on the Calangute beach stunning the State into disbelief. The post-mortem report ruled out rape or injuries pointing towards a possible suicide. However, the circumstances of the case left many questions unanswered and investigating officers remained baffled, as much as citizens. Seven days later nothing has changed. The same questions and many more have cropped up with the investigating team completely at sea.
While the police have failed to justify their theory of suicide, there has been no explanation of the semi-nude status of the body and the missing trousers. It would be insane to assume that the girl stripped off her clothes before committing suicide. The argument that her clothes must have come off due to the strong sea currents pales out because her hairband was intact. The police have concluded based on the post-mortem report knowing well for a fact that the clinical test can rule out rape, sexual assault or violence, but still cannot negate the possibility of murder.
Collating CCTV footage from private sources and trying to track the movement of the girl from Mapusa to Calangute is an uphill task. The only clue that can be derived from the camera footage is whether anyone accompanied her during her transit from Mapusa to Calangute. Moreover, if the attack had happened while she was at the beach will continue to be a mystery since there is no surveillance there. The cell phone which the girl had left at home while proceeding for work remains a crucial piece of investigation and the police will have to focus on her contacts, acquaintances and messages. More importantly, the police will have to win the confidence of the parents and engage them positively.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has asked the Crime Branch to assist the probe, and while the police leadership is on the job, political leaders like BJP President Sadanand Tanavade and Minister of Waste Management Michael Lobo have assured of a fair probe. Seven days later, the obvious question is whether the police are losing track and why is the CM not handing over the probe to the crime branch. While there are assurances of a thorough probe, the parents of the girl have slammed the police for shoddy handling and the disrespectful treatment meted out to them. Indications are the police were not ready to look beyond their belief in suicide.
Candlelight vigils have been held demanding justice for the teenager, NGOs and women groups have joined the chorus and even the Nachinola panchayat has demanded a crime branch probe while threatening to knock on the doors of the High Court if justice is not delivered. Sawant will have to pool together all resources at hand to get to the bottom of this case because cries for justice are only getting louder by the day, and with an opposition waiting to pounce on every opportunity of a failure, there can't be an easy way out.
