Court dismisses bail plea of two in gangrape case

Panaji: The fast track special court, Panaji, on Monday dismissed the bail applications of Rowan Abranches, 22, and Mecwin Andrade, 26, in the alleged gangrape of a 21-year-old woman under the Zuari bridge last month.The court stated that bail cannot be granted considering the seriousness of the offence and the fact that the matter is at the preliminary stage. “This is a case of gangrape and at least until the victim is examined, the accused cannot be released on bail,” said Pooja Kavlekar, presiding officer of fast track special court, (Pocso).The survivor appeared at the police station on March 18 and reported that two unidentified people raped her the previous day between 3.30pm and 9.30pm. She stated that they developed a friendship with her at Bambolim beach and then after offering her alcohol, took advantage of her intoxication by taking her under the New Zuari bridge at Cortalim. They further gained her confidence and again offered her alcoholic drinks and raped her while she was not in a conscious state.The advocate representing the men said she voluntarily went with the accused and, therefore, they be released on bail.The court observed that the survivor stated that when she refused to drink beer, the accused forced her to consume more alcohol due to which she became heavily intoxicated and lost control of her senses. The court observed that there are injuries on her body as per the medical report and that the DNA report is awaited. It also observed that the survivor in her statement corroborated what she stated in her complaint.The advocate representing the accused also raised the question of how she returned home on her bike if she claimed to be in an intoxicated state. The court observed that the survivor had stated she had vomited and this explains that she may have regained enough senses to ride.