MARGAO
The two victim girls -- aged 16 and 14 -- had gone out with their friends to the Benaulim beach for an outing on Saturday night, not realizing what lay in store for them.
While the 14-year-old victim is studying in the 9th standard, the 16-year-old is studying in the 11th standard. She is the cousin of the girl and had gone to stay with her a fortnight ago.
While other members of the group had returned home, the two victim girls and their male friends had stayed back.
They were confronted by the four accused persons allegedly posing as policemen while returning from the beach.
Sources said after the victims were raped, they returned home in the wee hours of the day. After resting, the duo decided to lodge a complaint and visited the Colva police station on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, the four detained in the case were arrested by the Colva police under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences
(POCSO) Act, Goa Children’s Act, besides rape and other offenses under the IPC. They were remanded to four days police custody by the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao on Monday evening.
The police gave their names as Asif Hateli (21), a resident of Housing Board, Margao, Rajesh Mane (33), Gajanan Chinchankiar (31) and Nitin Yabbal (19), all residents of Zariwaddo-Davorlim.
Of the four accused, only two of them were allegedly in volved in the rape of the two minor girls, while another was allegedly involved in sexual molestation. Though the role of the fourth accused is not
directly established, police said all the four have been booked in the case by invoking section 34 of the IPC (common intention).
Police sources informed the four allegedly confronted the girls and their male friends over their presence late at night. After assaulting the male members, the two victims were allegedly sexually assaulted by two of the accused, they said.
The police achieved a breakthrough in the crime based on the mobile numbers of the accused as they had demanded an amount of Rs 40,000 from the victims.
On Monday, the police conducted a panchanama at the scene of offense, even as the victims and the accused were subjected to medical examination at the Goa Medical College and hospital, Bambolim.
The police also attached the vehicle of the accused persons and the clothes worn by the victim girls.
Women’s rights activist Auda Viegas also accompanied the police while conducting the panchanama on the Benaulim beach. A forensic team also assisted in the investigation.
The medical examination report of the victim girls is expected by Tuesday, sources said.
