German girl's rape in 2009 may have been sabotaged: Parrikar

Panaji, April 30: The 2009 rape case of a minor German girl, involving the son of the then Congress minister, could have been sabotaged, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said Tuesday.

"The question is has the police, the advocate or parents sabotaged the case," Parrikar asked, while commenting about the case during question hour session in the Goa assembly.

Parrikar admitted that the police had also committed several irregularities.

"It surprised me too because the police did not even examine the victim, which is mandatory in the investigation of such cases," Parrikar said.

In 2009, mother of a minor German girl living in Saligao, around 15 km from here, accused then education minister Atanasio Monserrate's son Rohit of raping her daughter. She also submitted to the police the messages sent by Rohit to her daughter's mobile, asking her to smoke and drink heavily to abort possible pregnancy.

While the case was in news for a few months, the police refused to file a complaint. The victim and her mother left for Germany and later sent a letter to the Goa authorities claiming she did not wish to pursue the case because the government was conniving with the accused.

Rohit was acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence against him.

The chief minister said there was the need to figure out whether it was a "a case filed to put someone in trouble".

"Not much can be done about the case now because the girl has not been examined by the police. It should have been done."

"From the note I have received (from the police department), it appears that there was a settlement," Parrikar said.

IANS