PANAJI
Hours after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured action when questioned by the media, suspended Police Inspector Vikas Deykar was arrested on Wednesday in the alleged sexual assault of a minor inside the Crime Branch (CB) office at Ribandar. Ranjini Palekar, 37, who allegedly facilitated the offences, was also arrested.
The arrest followed days of criticism over the police department’s initial decision to transfer Deykar, 40, to the GRP instead of suspending him. His suspension on October 31 had also followed a media query to the CM and his assurance of action.
Prior to his arrest, the Old Goa police interrogated Deykar around three times, including once before the Superintendent of Police (North Goa).
A press statement issued on Wednesday evening stated that the investigating team noticed material inconsistencies in the statements of both the accused, leading to their arrest.
"Both failed to provide satisfactory explanations regarding crucial aspects of the case. Considering the material collected during the investigation, their alleged involvement in the offense, lack of cooperation, necessity of custodial interrogation and apprehensions regarding possible influencing of witnesses and tampering with evidence, both accused were placed under arrest," it said.
As per the complaint, Deykar allegedly sexually assaulted the minor inside his cabin on July 25 and October 27. He allegedly covered the CCTV camera inside the cabin to prevent it from recording the incidents. During the probe, police seized available CCTV footage from the premises, some of which reportedly has audio-recording facilities too.
The minor had approached Deykar over a cyber-related complaint. An official said she had spent around 15 minutes inside his closed cabin during one visit without a female police officer or NGO representative accompanying her. Deykar reportedly called her to the office outside regular working hours, when most staff members had left.
An FIR has been registered under sections 75 (sexual harassment), 127 (wrongful confinement), 49 (abetment of an offence) and 61(2)(a) (criminal conspiracy to commit a serious offence), read with Section 3(5) (common intention) of BNS; and sections 10 (aggravated sexual assault) and 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
