Team Goemkarponn
OLD GOA: The Old Goa Police have registered a statutory rape and cheating case against a 30-year-old unemployed man from Chorao for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl repeatedly when she was a minor, and subsequently swindling her family’s gold ornaments under a false promise of marriage.
According to law enforcement officials, the case was formally registered late Thursday evening, on June 18, following a detailed complaint filed by the victim, who has now attained majority.
The accused, a resident of Chorao, in the Tiswadi taluka.
Police sources revealed that the alleged abuse began prior to July 2018. The accused reportedly established a close relationship with the complainant when she was a 16-year-old minor and subjected her to repeated penetrative sexual assault.
The victim stated in her complaint that the physical relationship continued even after she reached adulthood, as the accused repeatedly assured her that he would marry her.
Exploratively leveraging this trust, accused allegedly cited pressing financial requirements and the impending marriage expenses to dishonestly convince the victim to hand over her mother’s gold jewelry.
The systematic exploitation came to light after the accused explicitly refused to honor his promise of marriage and failed to return the family’s gold ornaments despite multiple requests. Finding no alternative, the victim approached local police authorities to seek legal intervention.
Given that the inception of the offense took place when the victim was legally a child, the Old Goa Police have invoked severe provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, alongside relevant penal sections for sexual assault and criminal cheating.
The case has been handed over to Lady Police Sub-Inspector (LPSI) Jasvita Naik, who is leading the statutory investigation. Efforts are currently underway to track down the accused and initiate the recovery procedures for the missing gold ornaments, officials confirmed.
