Panaji, March 28 Goa Congress chief Amit Patkar on Saturday claimed that the sex scandal in which the son of a councilor is an accused involves more than 100 minor victims, and that the police were initially reluctant to register a case.
Soham (20), son of Sushant Naik, a member of Curchorem Municipal Council in south Goa, was arrested on March 21 in four cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Goa Children's Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Information Technology Act, for allegedly raping minor girls, filming their obscene videos, and circulating them.
Addressing a press conference during a protest march organized by the Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee, Patkar alleged, "The number of victims exceeds 100. The accused has been committing this crime for the last three years. This sex scandal is much bigger than what it is being made out to be."
Patkar claimed that the minor girls are from places like Curchorem, Margao, Vasco da Gama, and Ponda, adding that there is an urgent need to provide counseling to the victims to ensure that they do not take any extreme step under pressure.
"The accused turned 21 this week. This means he has been involved in the crime since he was 17-18. The Curchorem police were initially reluctant to register the case and only did so after pressure from local residents. Why have the Goa State Women's Commission, the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and the state education department not yet taken action?" he questioned.
When contacted, an official of the Crime Branch, which is investigating the case, said that three girls have come forward with complaints so far.
"Efforts are underway to encourage more victims to file complaints. The exact number of victims can only be ascertained after the investigation is completed," the official added.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Siddharth Gauns Desai said that Sushant Naik, the accused's father, is not associated with the ruling party.
"Sushant Naik has never been associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party, as is being projected in some media reports. He is not even a primary member of the party. He is an independent politician. Municipal council elections are not fought on party symbols," Desai added.
Desai, chairperson of the South Goa Zilla Panchayat, said that he led the protest to the police station, which resulted in the arrest of Soham Naik.
