VASCO
Verna police on Saturday cracked a seven-month-old kidnapping case by rescuing a 16-year-old girl from Hosapete, Karnataka, and arresting Motilal Walikar (24) of Zuarinagar-Sancoale.
The case came to light on March 17 after the girl’s mother reported her missing from their Zuarinagar residence around 2 pm.
Police registered a case under Section 137(2) of the BNS and Section 8 of the Goa Children’s Act, with PSI Rajdatt Arsekar leading the investigation. Police said Walikar allegedly took the minor first to Maharashtra and later to Karnataka, where he remained out of reach for over seven months.
Using technical surveillance and sustained investigation, Arsekar, along with LPSI Sapna Gawas, police constables Sujay Naik and Pawan Lotlikar and LPC Akshata Hospite, traced the girl to Hosapete in Vijaypur district. She was rescued and Walikar arrested before being brought to Verna police station.
In her statement, the girl allegedly told police that she was beaten and tortured and sexually assaulted. She also alleged that the accused recorded videos and took nude photographs of her, threatening to make them viral.
Walikar was produced before the JMFC, Vasco, and remanded to nine days in police custody. Based on the girl’s statement, police added further sections under the BNS and POCSO Act. Further investigation is being conducted by PSI Sapna Gawas under the supervision of PI Anand Shirodkar and guidance of Mormugao DySP Gurudas Kadam.
