BICHOLIM
A 47-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of Sunday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl in Bicholim taluka. The accused was taken into custody within hours of the crime, following swift action by the Bicholim Police.
According to police, the accused lured the minor out of her house on the night of October 4 under the pretext of buying her fast food. He took her in his white Swift car between 9:30 PM and 11:00 PM. On their way back, he allegedly stopped the vehicle in a secluded area and committed sexual assault on the child.
In her complaint, the victim’s mother stated that the accused touched her daughter inappropriately, tore her underwear, and forcibly engaged in acts that constitute rape under Indian law.
Bicholim Police registered an FIR (Crime No. 132/2025) under Sections 64(1), 65(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 8(2) of the Goa Children’s Act, and Sections 4, 6, 8, and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The FIR was filed in the early hours of October 5, and the victim was medically examined at Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim.
A police team led by PI Vijay Rane and comprising PSI Jay Prakash Jankar, HC Kalpesh Bhamaikar, PCs Chetan Govekar, Shailesh Dawane, and LPC Sonali Naik, apprehended the accused ” identified as Satyawan Harishchandra Gaonkar, a resident of Velguem ” at 4:34 AM on October 5. The white Swift car used in the commission of the crime has also been recovered.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of SDPO Bicholim Sridevi BV, IPS, and overall guidance of North Goa SP Rahul Gupta, IPS. LPSI Sonali Harmalkar is currently investigating the case.
