Curchorem sex scandal case handed over to crime branch

Margao/Panaji: The alleged sex scandal case of Curchorem, which was under investigation by the local police, was on Tuesday transferred to the crime branch. A total of three first information reports (FIRs) have been filed in the case, and statements of two survivors have been recorded.

The investigation has revealed that, at the time of the incidents, both the accused and the survivors were minors.

The development comes days after Curchorem police arrested 20-year-old Soham Sushant Naik, a resident of Madhegal, Cacora, on alleged charges of sexually exploiting several minor victims, recording their obscene videos, and circulating it on the internet.

Soham, whose father Sushant Naik is a councillor of the Curchorem Cacora Municipal Council, was arrested following a public uproar, with locals gathering outside the police station on Sunday evening demanding immediate action. South Goa SP Santosh Desai, who earlier visited the police station to review the probe, said that while one case was initially registered in the matter, two more cases were filed on Monday.

He said investigations are being conducted from all angles. Soham, treated as the prime suspect, is currently being interrogated. Several others believed to be connected to the case are also being questioned.

Deputy inspector general of police Varsha Sharma visited the Curchorem police station to review the progress of the probe and said, “Based on the statement of the survivor, two more FIRs have been registered.” The first FIR is registered on behalf of the state.

Sharma said that the incidents took place around three years back when the accused and the survivors were in college. “In video clips, there is no presence of survivors, and the mobile of the accused will be sent for forensic examination,” she said.

“There is no political pressure on us and based on complaints we will register the FIRs,” Sharma said.

Cases against Soham have been filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita, the Information Technology Act, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, and the Goa Children's Act. He was remanded in four-day police custody by the local court on Monday.



BJP shielding its councillor: Kejriwal

AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday slammed  BJP over the Curchorem sex scandal, demanding the harshest punishment for the accused and justice for the survivors.

He accused BJP of shielding the son of one of its councillors, who allegedly sexually exploited 30 minor girls over three years, filming and blackmailing them. “BJP has turned people's lives in Goa into hell. Everyone is living under the shadow of fear,” Kejriwal said.

He demanded that the guilty be dealt with sternly and warned that those in office must not protect such offenders. “Protecting such monsters is fatal for society. No demon should even think of doing this again,” he added.