After a long wait, the Colvale Jail officials finally lodged a police complaint against one of its inmates, who failed to surrender after jumping the furlough granted to him in April 2018.
The Saligao police have registered an offense against rape convict Janak Bishu Karma, who hails from Nepal.
Karma was granted furlough on April 28, 2018, for 21 days, till May 18, 2018. Ironically, the Prisons department granted his temporary release despite a negative report by Saligao police suggesting that he shouldn’t be let out citing security concerns.
Failing to track his whereabouts, the embarrassed jail officials finally approached the police with Jail Superintendent Gauresh Kuttikar lodging a complaint that was subsequently registered under section 224 of the Indian Penal Code on Wednesday, October 26.
Karma was arrested by Vasco police on July 2, 2015, on charges of sexually abusing two minor girls at Chicalim. He worked as a security guard at a bungalow near the incident site.
The Children’s Court convicted him for the offense and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment.
Earlier, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had dismissed his petition challenging the conviction order, on grounds that he never responded to summons and warrants during the hearing. The petition filed soon after the order was dismissed in September 2020.
