Son faces rape charge, father abetment

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-10-15
PANAJI - The police on Tuesday booked the Education Minister, Mr Atanasio Monserrate’s son, Mr Rohit following the complaint filed by German woman, Ms Fuchs accusing him of sexually using her minor daughter.
The police said while Mr Rohit has been charged with rape and outraging modesty, his father Mr Monserrate has been charged with abetment to crime as the mother of the girl has charged that she was informed that the mobile number in question was in the name of the minister and the billing address was c/o Raj Constructions, near Dhempe College, Miramar.
The North Goa Superintendent of Police, Mr Bosco George on Tuesday evening informed that a team led by SDPO, Mapusa, Mr Gundu Naik, the Panaji police inspector, Mr Francisco Corte and the newly appointed SDPO, Mr Sammy Tavares, along with others had gone to arrest Mr Rohit but came bare handed at around 4 p.m. after serving a notice asking him to make available his son to the Calangute police as soon as he gets the notice under Section 160 criminal procedure code.
He said the case has been registered under Section 354, 376, 293 read with 109 of Indian Penal Code and Section 8 of Goa Children’s Act 2003. This was done upon the receipt of formal complaint by the Calangute police on Tuesday morning from Ms Fadela Fuchs, resident of Salmona, Aradi, Saligao, Bardez, at around 12.10 p.m. He said her earlier complaint was short of detail information and it was just a sketchy account. This caused the delay in registering the case. He said Tuesday’s complaint contains all the required details for investigation, as such the police acted now.
In her complaint Ms Fuchs has said that prior to October 2, 2008, time not known, at Saligao and other places, Rohit, son of Mr Atanasio Monserrate from Taleigao, allegedly sexually assaulted her minor daughter, outraged her modesty and apparently raped her and sent vulgar text messages of obscene nature through mobile phone.
Mr Bosco George said the residential house of suspect was searched but he was not found, hence a notice under Section 160 criminal procedure has been issued to seek his presence for investigation/interrogation. Further investigation is in progress, he added.
Meanwhile, the German researcher, Ms Fadela Fuchs on Tuesday morning deposed before the North Goa Superintendent of Police, Mr Bosco George and the newly appointed SDPO, Mr Sammy Tavares in the presence of her lawyer, Mr Aires Rodrigues.
In her statement Ms Fuchs gave details of the case to the police and also complained that though the mother of the accused came to her house on October 3 evening after she came to know about the complaint, to try and coax her to withdraw it, the police did not take any action.
She also said that she had enclosed some text of the SMSes sent by Mr Rohit to her minor daughter’s mobile from mobile number 9923077930, that, she alleged, she had been informed was registered in the name of his father, Mr Atanasio Monserrate. She claimed that a perusal of the text of the SMSes would show that Mr Rohit was “sexually using and harassing my minor daughter,” and wanted that everyone should be treated equally in law and Mr Monserrate nor his son should be an exception.
She has claimed that because of the contents of the text messages, Mr Rohit has committed offences under the Children’s Act 2003 including section 8(2) and 8(12) and additionally assaulted her minor daughter, outraged her modesty and apparently raped her as well as circulated obscene text messages to her minor daughter. Mr Aires told ‘The Navhind Times’ that he has asked for a proper investigation in the matter. He said that they had added the name of Mr Atanasio Monserrate to the case as the phone was in his name. He said that the police had promised him action by today.