PANAJI
The investigation into the alleged Curchorem sex scandal has suffered a fresh setback after a 19-year-old complainant declined to undergo a medical examination, officials said, complicating efforts to substantiate her claims.
Crime Branch sources said the woman alleged in her complaint that she was repeatedly raped between July 2025 and March 2026 under the pretext of marriage. She also accused Soham Naik of circulating obscene images of her on social media without her consent. The alleged assaults, she said, occurred at several locations over the period, including near the Quepem waterfall.
Official sources said the refusal to undergo a medical examination could weaken the case’s evidentiary foundation, particularly as the investigation team seeks to corroborate witness accounts with forensic and medical evidence.
The development adds to mounting challenges into the overall probe, comprising five First Information Reports registered against Naik. In an earlier setback, the complainant in the first FIR is purportedly untraceable, delaying efforts to formally record her statement.
Police officials said the missing complainant had earlier contacted Goa police by email, attaching photographs that she alleged were explicit images used by the accused to threaten and coerce her. These too were allegedly posted online without her consent.
