SEEKING ANSWERS: Congress leaders, carrying placards, meet Mapusa PI Anant Gaonkar at the police station, expressing outrage over the alleged sexual assault of a young girl and demanding accountability over the deteriorating law-and-order situation in the town.
MAPUSA
The alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old girl inside an abandoned building near Lohia Garden has triggered widespread outrage in Mapusa, with residents, traders and political leaders condemning the horrific incident and questioning the failure of authorities to address growing safety concerns in the town.
The incident has once again brought into focus the alleged presence of prostitution, drug abuse and other illegal activities in and around the market area, besides highlighting concerns over inadequate police patrolling, poor surveillance and the unchecked movement of suspicious elements.
Pandurang Sawant, a trader in Mapusa market, said the incident had taken place in the vicinity of the market, an area frequented by children and hundreds of other people every day.
“Children roam around our market. We have to wake up now before more such incidents happen,” he said, adding that the Mapusa Merchants Association (MMA) and Dnyan Prasarak school had repeatedly submitted petitions to the police highlighting alleged prostitution around the market, bus stand and State Bank of India lane.
He said traders had also brought these concerns to the attention of the local MLA and other prominent people, but alleged that no action had been taken.
Questioning the effectiveness of police patrolling, Sawant said security personnel generally became visible only after robberies or other incidents. He also expressed disappointment over the failure to install CCTV cameras despite assurances.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao and Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Girish Chodankar demanded swift justice, stronger child protection measures and accountability from the government.
Reacting to the incident, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao expressed shock and called upon the government to ensure the best possible medical treatment, counselling and support for the child and her family, while protecting her identity. “The perpetrators must be caught immediately and should face swift justice through a time-bound investigation and a fast-track trial. No delay, no leniency,” Alemao said.
Pointing to Goa's crime statistics, Alemao cited National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2024, claiming that the State recorded 13.3 rape and child sexual abuse cases per lakh population, the highest among all States and more than three times the national average. He further claimed that over 61 per cent of survivors were children.
Questioning the conviction rate in crimes against women, which he put at 9.4 per cent, with over 91 per cent of cases pending, Alemao demanded more fast-track POCSO courts, stronger policing and a time-bound plan to protect children. “Goa, once known for safe streets, now carries this shameful distinction. Citizens feel they are on their own. The government must answer for this failure,” he said, adding that the Opposition would pursue the case until justice was delivered.
GPCC President Girish Chodankar also condemned the incident and questioned the alleged lack of preventive action by authorities despite repeated concerns about activities in and around the abandoned building near Lohia Garden. In a strongly worded statement, Chodankar said the incident raised serious questions about the safety of children in the heart of Mapusa. “What is equally disturbing is that the alleged crime took place in an abandoned building in the heart of Mapusa, an area where concerns about prostitution, drug abuse and illegal activities have reportedly been raised repeatedly by citizens and media houses,” he said.
Questioning the government's response to earlier complaints, Chodankar asked why the building had been allowed to remain an unsafe spot despite reported concerns from residents. Addressing Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, he said, “This is a serious failure of your Home Department’s responsibility to protect our children.” Chodankar demanded an immediate, impartial and time-bound investigation, the arrest and prosecution of those responsible, and an inquiry into any possible negligence by the police or other authorities.
He also called for the child to receive the best possible medical treatment, psychological support, protection and rehabilitation, while ensuring her identity and dignity remained safeguarded. “If a four-year-old child is not safe in the heart of Mapusa, what assurance of safety can your government give to the people of Goa?” he asked.
“This is not merely about one horrific incident. It is about the responsibility of a government that must protect every child, every woman and every citizen. The little angel deserves justice. Her parents deserve answers. Goa deserves accountability,” Chodankar said, asserting that he would not allow the matter to be forgotten.
Congress leader Rahul Mhambre expressed shock and outrage over the alleged assault, questioning the Home Department and Mapusa MLA Joshua D'Souza over the persistence of unsafe conditions in the town.
He demanded a time-bound investigation, strict action against the accused and an inquiry into the accountability of authorities. He also stressed the need to provide the child with the best medical care and psychological support while protecting her identity.
State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and social worker Guruprasad Pawaskar described the incident as an outrage against humanity and called for stringent improvements in civic infrastructure and the security system. He urged police to arrest the perpetrator at the earliest.
North Goa Congress district president Shashank Narvekar demanded Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's resignation on moral grounds, alleging that the government had failed to protect citizens, particularly women and children.
Congress general secretary Vijay Bhike said Mapusa was increasingly making headlines for the wrong reasons, citing garbage, robberies, burglaries and alleged prostitution near abandoned buildings.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders, including Bhike, Narvekar and Mahila Congress president Pratiksha Khalap, marched to the Mapusa police station and held discussions with the police in-charge, seeking action over the incident and the broader law-and-order situation.
