COLVA: On paper, all three minor girls, two of them rape victims in supposedly unconnected cases were kidnapped from the same protective home. With two of them “found” but with the third one missing, questions are being raised on the “protective” standards in the home
The “kidnapper” who is supposed to have taken all three girls from the protective home has not been identified or brought on record. Police have traced two girls while one is still at large. Incidentally, of the two girls traced, one is with her mother, while the other is sent to Apna Ghar.
The police have registered an offence under Section 363 of IPC and also under Section 8 of Goa Children Act following a complaint lodged by the children home authority that the girls were taken away from their lawful custody.
While police have met the two girls who have subsequently been found, in the presence of a representative of an NGO, they refused to divulge the information on grounds that the case is still under investigation.
While it is learnt that the girls escaped from one small open passage, police refused to comment claiming investigations are still on while assuring that they are looking at all possibilities.
It may be recalled that three minor girls from different parts of Salcete, who were housed in the protective home were kidnapped by an unknown person. The girls were at the protective house as they were victims of kidnapping, rape etc.
The case of one of the girls was lodged by Margao Police while the second was lodged there by Colva police and the third by Cuncolim police.
How the girls originally landed at the Colva home
It may be recalled that Vikram Kumar aged 21 from Muzaffarpur, Rajkhand, Bihar wanted by Cuncolim police for kidnapping a student was arrested by Cuncolim police after four-and-a-half months in Delhi along with the kidnapped girl.
He had kidnapped the student in March this year and was arrested by PSI Ravindra Velip and his team with the help of Delhi police.
PSI Kavita Rawat was investigating the case following a complaint lodged by the girl’s parent and while the girl was sent to the Colva Protection Home, Vikram Kumar was taken into custody by the police.
This girl who was kidnapped from the Protection Home was traced at her maternal home living with her mother.
The second girl was sent there following a case registered by Margao police station and after tracing her now, she has been sent to Apna Ghar after completing the required formalities.
As far as the third girl is concerned, following a complaint filed by this girl’s parent, the Colva police found her at somebody’s house who initially refused to hand her over to the police but was forced to do so following stern police action following which she was sent to the protection home. She too was purportedly “kidnapped” from the protective home is yet to be traced.