PANAJI
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas has called for an inquiry against two lady police officers, a medical officer on duty at the South Goa District Hospital (SGDH) and other officials for allegedly failing to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) while dealing with a rape victim at Comba-Margao.
Viegas, who was accompanied by a female lawyer at a press conference in Margao on Tuesday, claimed that the officials mishandled the situation.
The lawyer had informed the police about a young woman found lying on the streets on Sunday night.
“The victim may not want to pursue the case or undergo a medical examination but the question remains – why did these government officials fail to follow SOPs? They need to be investigated,” Viegas demanded.
The 25-year-old victim, a native of Karnataka, was allegedly sexually assaulted while working as a caretaker for elderly persons at a residence in Margao. While an FIR has been registered against unknown person/s, Viegas and the lawyer raised concerns over the way the case was handled. They stated that the victim was shuttled between locations under the pretext of mandatory procedures.
“Fatorda woman police officer Prabhudesai, PSI Anushka Parab and the lady medical officer on duty at SGDH did not perform their duties as per SOPs. There was no gynaecologist at the hospital either,” Viegas alleged.
The lawyer further accused the police of acting as if the victim posed a threat to them when, in reality, she was in a fragile state.
They also demanded the resignation of Goa State Women’s Commission Chairperson Ranjita Pai, alleging that she had discouraged the lawyer from involving the media, calling them “opportunists.”
Viegas further claimed that Pai had stated that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had “definitely interfered” and advised the lawyer against making any public statements on the matter.
