CANACONA
Accusing a co-villager of abusing, assaulting, and injuring a four-year-old boy, angry residents of Loliem-Polem gathered at the Canacona police station demanding an inquiry into an alleged case of child abuse and inter-state human trafficking carried out under the guise of illegal adoption.
The villagers submitted a complaint stating that a woman from Polem had ill-treated and assaulted her four-year-old adopted son. The complaint alleged that the child had been beaten, traumatised, and suffered bruises, facial injuries, and a dislocated shoulder. He is currently undergoing treatment at GMC, Bambolim.
The villagers, led by social activist Tara Kerkar and Congress leader Janardhan Bhandari, claimed that the boy had been illegally adopted by a couple from Polem, who already have three daughters. They alleged that the adoption was part of an inter-state child trafficking racket operating across the Goa-Karnataka border without legal formalities.
According to the complaint, the husband, who works abroad, and his wife were ill-treating the child in a cruel manner, causing serious injuries to his face, cheek, and shoulder.
The villagers have demanded a thorough investigation into the incident. They further alleged that an agent from Karnataka is involved in trafficking children and selling them illegally for around Rs 6 lakh per male child. They claimed that the injured boy was one of the victims sold through this network.
Canacona police have begun an inquiry and are interrogating the child’s mother, uncle, and other close relatives.
“We are at the preliminary stage of the inquiry. The assault on the four-year-old did not take place within the jurisdiction of this police station; it happened in Curchorem. The child may have been assaulted elsewhere earlier too. We are questioning the boy’s mother, uncle, and maternal uncle to verify details before taking further action. We are exploring every angle before deciding whether to register an FIR at Canacona police station,” said Canacona PI Harish Raut Desai.
