Team Goemkarponn
CURCHOREM: The Crime Branch (CB) has submitted two separate chargesheets against Soham Naik, son of a BJP-linked councillor, in the Curchorem sexual assault case, while a third chargesheet linked to the earliest FIR is expected shortly, sources said.
Investigators have primarily relied on forensic findings, including recovered mobile data, photographs and allegedly restored deleted videos retrieved during examination at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Verna.
In one of the cases, a detailed 158-page report has been placed before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), listing 19 witnesses. Since both the accused and the survivor were minors at the time of the alleged incident, the matter has been submitted in juvenile proceedings rather than a regular criminal court format, officials indicated.
According to sources, the victim, then a Class X student, reportedly came into contact with the accused through social media. The interaction allegedly developed into a friendship, following which she was sexually exploited and the act was purportedly recorded.
Medical findings, according to investigators, have supported allegations of sexual assault and form a significant part of the evidence on record.
The alleged offence is said to have taken place in Curchorem. The CB has also incorporated electronic material extracted from mobile devices, which has been corroborated through forensic analysis.
In the second case, investigators have filed a 140-page chargesheet supported by statements from 25 witnesses along with similar digital and documentary evidence.
Officials added that the investigation in the first FIR—originally registered at Curchorem police station and later transferred to the CB—is nearing completion and is likely to be filed in court soon.
The case saw a major breakthrough after forensic experts reportedly recovered deleted videos and images from the accused’s seized mobile phone, expanding the scope of investigation across multiple FIRs.
However, the agency has faced complications in at least one matter after a victim stated that the accused was only a friend. In a statement before a magistrate, she also reportedly alleged pressure in connection with her complaint.
She later filed an intervention supporting the anticipatory bail plea of the accused, which was subsequently granted.
In a recent development, the Children’s Court granted conditional bail to Soham Naik in one of the cases. The Juvenile Justice Board will now determine whether the matter continues under juvenile jurisdiction or is transferred to a regular court for trial.
