PANAJI
In a shocking incident, four persons have been arrested in Vasco by the Women's Police Station, Panaji for allegedly procuring and raping a minor girl from Karnataka with the intention of using her as a ‘surrogate mother'.
The arrested persons include a Bihari couple Shoaib and Salath Afridi, one Tasleema and Satyavan Naik. Shoaib Afridi is employed as a housekeeping supervisor and the couple has been residing in Vasco since two years.
Another person, who was allegedly in an intimate relationship with the girl previously, is absconding. Police are on the lookout for this man, who along with accused Tasleema, produced a fake birth certificate of the minor girl and acted as facilitator and put her in touch with the Afridi couple.
All the accused have been booked under Section 366A (procurement of a minor girl), 376 (rape), 420 (cheating), Section 8(2) (child sexual assault) of Goa Children's Act, 2003 and Section 4 (penetrative sexual assault on a child) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.
The horrific incident came to light after the father of the minor girl approached the Women's Police Station with the help of NGO Anyay Rahit Zindagi (ARZ).
In his complaint, the minor girl's father has stated that the girl had run away with Satyavan Naik in July 2016 and that she returned home a year later in July this year. Upon her return, she narrated the nightmare which had befallen her. She alleged that Satyavan and another ‘friend' sexually exploited her. Following this, Motiram and Tasleema introduced her to Shoaib. The duo produced a fake birth certificate from Karnataka in a order to prove that the girl is major in age and then made the minor girl sign a surrogacy agreement with Shoaib and his wife, Salath, for a sum of Rs five lakh.
The minor girl resided at the marital home of the Afridi couple for five months from March to July this year. The complaint further states that during this time, Shoaib also attempted to sexually exploit the girl. It has been alleged that his wife Salath was aware of the ongoings and remained silent. Women's Police team led by sub-inspector Reema Naik is inquiring.
