Cops register non-cognizable offence against Sopte

PANAJI: Woman police station, Panaji, registered a non-cognizable (NC) offence against Pernem Congress MLA Dayanand Sopte for allegedly trying to pressurize the social worker who exposed the sale of a minor boy at Ponda, crime branch SP Karthik Kashyap said on Tuesday.
The woman alleged that she received a call from Sopte asking her to do the needful to help the accused in the child-selling case secure bail and be released.
"Sopte is trying to influence me to assist the accused which amounts to interfering with the complainant, who is also the prime state witness in the present case," she said in her complaint.
Earlier on Friday, Ponda police had arrested four persons for selling an 11-year-old boy for Rs 2 lakh following a complaint from a Mapusa-based NGO regarding the illegal deal.
The minor's 30-year-old mother, who is one of the accused in the case, is a resident of Pune.
The other accused in the case are the purchaser - Amar Morje, 38, from Tuem, Pernem; and the dealers - Anant Damaji, 34 and Yogesh Gosavi, 42, both residents of Agarwada, Pernem.