Public outcry in Margao over Betalbatim rape

Citizens march to police station, demand watertight case n Govt urged to pursue right policy on tourism, migrants

| MAY 28, 2018, 03:04 AM IST

the goan I network

MARGAO

As the gang-rape of a young women at the Betalbatim beach evoked outrage and anger across the state, citizens under various banners marched to the Margao police station on Sunday not only demanding a watertight case against the rapists, but has called upon the government to pursue the right policies on tourism, real estate and migrants in the state.  

Angry citizens warned the law enforcing agencies that people of Goa will be forced to take the law in their own hands to protect their women, demanding that the government send a strong message to the rest of the country that no injustice will be tolerated against women in Goa.

Mahila Congress workers led by President Pratima Coutinho demanded that the three rape accused be hanged for their heinous crime against the 20-year old woman from Goa.  

At one stage, the Mahila Congress women tried to enter the police station, where the three rape accused are lodged, demanding that they will show the accused persons their due place. A police team, led by PI Kapil Nayak, kept the Congress women activists at bay before they called on the Margao Sub-divisional police officer, DySP Raju Raut Desai to hand over a memorandum.  

Pratima said they wanted to barge inside the police station since there was no senior office at the district headquarters, be it SP Arvind Gawas, DySP Raju Raut Desai or the PI. “We had a peaceful dharna outside the police station to demand justice for the victim and strict punishment for the rapists. But, after we found that there was no senior officer at the district headquarters even to accept our memorandum, we decided to barge inside the police to show the accused their right place’, she said.  

They later handed over a memorandum to DySP Raju Raut Desai, questioning the police failure to patrol the beach belt during night time.  

Saying that the Home Ministry is not functioning at the moment, the Mahila Cong demanded a thorough probe and a death penalty for the culprits. “A message should go to the rest of the country that rapes will not be tolerated in Goa”, she said. 


Accused get 14 days remand; weapons found

MARGAO: All the three accused from Indore involved in the gang-rape of the 20-year old woman at the Betalbatim beach have been remanded to 14 days police custody by a local court, even as the Director General of Police, Muktesh Chander visited the district headquarters on Sunday to review the investigations in the case.

Continued on P4


Betalbatim locals question lax security 

MARGAO:  A group of citizens from Betalbatim under the banner of Betalbatim  Avaaz raised the question of lax security at Betalbatim when Chief  Minister Manohar Parrikar during his previous tenure had promised to  tone up security at the Betalbatim beach belt.  

Hillary Cota along with a group of citizens from Betalbatim  who assembled at the Margao police station on Sunday morning pointed  out that Betalbatim beach belt has no security worth its name. He  recalled that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had promised to beef up  security at Betalbatim after a migrant had attacked a local girl with a  knife four years ago, but in vain. “Where’s the promised security at  Betalbatim”, he demanded to know outside the Margao police station.  Another villager pointed out that the migrant population  has increased so much in the village that locals are feeling insecure  for want of police security.

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