Gangrape survivor, her mom allege cop pressure to support accused’s bail plea

Panaji: A 25-year-old mentally challenged woman — survivor of an alleged gangrape — and her mother said a lady police sub-inspector (LPSI) pressurised them to favour the accused person and to consent to his bail application on the grounds that he spent one year in judicial custody.

The victim assistance unit (VAU) attended the South Goa district and sessions court to support the survivor during a hearing related to the accused individual’s bail application.


During an interaction, the survivor and her mother expressed their wish to withdraw the case, citing continuous pressure from the investigating officer to give their consent to bail on the grounds that the accused person spent a year in judicial custody.

“The survivor also disclosed that the investigating officer advised her to settle the case with the accused person for a substantial sum of money and demanded a portion of the compensation,” state govt’s VAU in-charge, Emidio Pinho, said.

According to the VAU, the survivor’s mother stated that on several occasions, the investigating officer consistently aimed at coercing the survivor and her family into withdrawing the case.

It was disclosed that after registration of the offence, family members of the accused person repeatedly visited the survivor and her mother, took them to restaurants, and attempted to persuade them to withdraw the case. Despite reporting these incidents to the investigating officer, no preventive or corrective action was taken.

“Due to sustained pressure, interference, loss of trust in the investigation, and resulting fear and mental distress, the survivor and her mother stated that they felt unsafe and that they wished to withdraw the case,” Pinho said.

In Jan 2025, Goa police had arrested five men for abducting and gangraping the mentally challenged woman. Police said that the prime accused first “enticed” and abducted the woman from the KTC bus stand, Margao, travelled to Vasco by bus and then to Dabolim junction by scooter. Once in Dabolim, four others joined him in a car. They then took the survivor to a flat in Cansaulim, where they allegedly gangraped her.