By IANS,
Panaji : Utt Goenkara, an NGO in Goa, has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the assault on its spokesperson Aires Rodrigues, an advocate representing a German woman who has charged the son of the Goa education minister of raping her daughter.
A signed statement by John Lobo, general secretary of the NGO, has also demanded the immediate arrest of Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate, who Lobo alleges had masterminded the assault and was now being sheltered by his legislator colleagues.
The assault occurred Oct 13, the night before Rodrigues was to accompany the German researcher to file a complaint against Atanasio Monserrate’s son Rohit for raping her 14-year-old daughter.
“There is now a planned attempt by various politicians, including some senior ministers, to pressurise the police to save the education minister,” claimed Lobo.
“The arrest of Sandeep Vaigankar, an aide of Babush (Atanasio) Monseratte, and his subsequent confession to committing the crime means that now the police should investigate the role of Atanasio Monseratte in the whole episode,” the statement adds.
The police, in two raids, have nabbed eight people connected with the assault and have claimed that Vaigankar had given a contract to the other assailants to assault Rodrigues.
“There are some loose ends which need to be tied up,” Superintendent of Police Bosco George told reporters Saturday.
Rohit Monserrate, 21, the main accused in the rape of the minor German girl, continues to be missing even a fortnight after the case was registered.
The police have maintained that they will move for his arrest only after the victim gives her statement.
The Bombay High Court has directed the police to submit a report of their investigations into this case after a division bench headed by Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar took suo moto cognizance of the case based on media reports.