VASCO
Four years after his minor daughter was sexually assaulted in a school in Mormugao, a man from Vasco is yet to get justice and has continued his fight to get authorities to nab the accused.
It may be recalled that a seven-year-old girl was allegedly molested in the school toilet at Mormugao on January 14, 2013. Then chief minister and present Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had assured to give justice to the victim’s family.
Four years on and the victim's father continues to run from pillar to post, including the CBI office and court, with the hope of getting justice. He has not lost hope and is personally pursuing the case with the help of well-wishers from the legal fraternity and NGOs.
“For the last four years, I have been fighting a battle to get justice for my daughter. Parrikar had promised that the culprit would be booked and would be tried for the heinous crime. However, it was only the assurance as Parrikar has failed to deliver justice for my child,” said the father, while speaking to The Goan.
“As the police were dragging their feet in investigations into the case, the matter was handed over to the Crime Branch of India (CBI), but the police administration failed to extend the much-needed cooperation to the CBI.”
“As the CBI also failed to solve the case, it recently requested the court to close the case. I objected to it and with the help of my sympathizers from the legal field, I am fighting the case to give justice to my daughter and I will not rest till I succeed,” said the father.
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VASCO: With elections slated within the next few weeks, political leaders in the port town have sought to blame the BJP for failing to give justice to the victim and her family, while the BJP has hit back stating that the CBI is still investigating the case.
Congress spokesperson Sankalp Amonkar, who had spearheaded an agitation in support of the victim, said the BJP government had failed to give justice to the poor family. “I had staged rallies as the police failed to crack the case, but our efforts were scuttled by the BJP government by using police machinery,” he said.
“I still extend all my support and cooperation and help to the victim’s family and if elected and Congress government comes to power, I will try and re-open the case and give justice to them,” added Amonkar.
NCP president Jose Philip D’Souza said BJP is the party of only rich people and is least bothered about suffering of the poor people. “BJP wants the common man and poor people only at the time of election and after that, these people are dumped aside to fulfill aspirations of the rich,” said D’Souza.
“I had announced cash award to the police personnel if they succeed in nabbing the culprit, but the police failed to solve the case,” he added.
Stating that the State BJP government has taken every step to see that the victim gets justice, Vasco MLA Carlos Almeida said the CBI is investigating into the case and he hoped that the culprit would be nabbed.
“I sympathize with the family and such incidents should never take place in anybody’s life,” Almeida told The Goan.
“Our government has taken every step to see that the victim gets justice and when there was a demand to hand over the case to the CBI, the then chief minister Manohar Parrikar paid heed to the outcry of the people and handed over the case to the CBI,” said Almeida.
“CBI is investigating the case and I hope they will be able to nab the culprit and give justice to the victim. I will always extend my support and help to the family whenever they are in need,” he added.
