Team Goemkarponn
MAPUSA: Mapusa police have apprehended the suspected accused in the alleged rape of a four-year-old girl at Mapusa, with the suspect, identified as Pundalik Ghudge and reportedly hailing from Dharwad in Karnataka, being traced to Panaji. Further details of the arrest are awaited.
The arrest comes nearly three days after the shocking incident in which the child was allegedly sexually assaulted inside an abandoned building at Mapusa on the night of November 8, Diwali.
According to preliminary information, the accused allegedly took the girl, whose family survives by selling balloons, to the abandoned building and sexually assaulted her.
The child was later found injured and crying outside the premises by local residents, who came to her rescue.
She was initially rushed to the North Goa District Hospital and subsequently shifted to Goa Medical College (GMC) Hospital for further treatment.
Following the incident, police had launched an extensive search operation, deploying multiple teams to trace the suspect.
The case sparked widespread outrage across Goa, with citizens expressing concern over the safety of children and demanding stringent action against the perpetrator.
With the suspected accused now in police custody, further details regarding the arrest and the investigation are awaited.
