Panaji, March 28 Goa Congress chief Amit Patkar on Saturday claimed that the sex scandal involving the son of a councilor 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 the 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 past three years. This sex scandal is much bigger than what it is being portrayed 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 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 taken action yet?" 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 once the investigation is completed," the official added.