The minibus driver raped an 18-year-old engineering student from a reputable South Goa institution on Sunday night in Panaji. According to the police, the driver is accused of taking advantage of the survivor since she was supposedly intoxicated. The 35-year-old motorist was detained by the Panaji Women’s Police Station and held in police custody for five days. Concerned residents from all across the State have criticized the law-and-order situation in Goa regarding the protection of women since the inquiry into the terrible rape of a girl student began.
Chandrashekhar Lamani, a 35-year-old bus driver, suspected of rape under Section 376 of the IPC, who was engaged to be married shortly, will now be the subject of a probe. A party of 14 engineering students leased a minivan to take them to Panaji for Christmas. The group of students, who included both boys and girls, were all from outside the state.
According to the police, several of them drank alcohol en-route and were already drunk when they arrived in Panaji. Some students disembarked the Panaji bus after the driver parked it to purchase food and drinks. The driver raped the 18-year-old on the final seat of the car at about 6 o’clock, authorities claimed, taking advantage of the other passengers’ inebriation. Some students were still sitting in the vehicle at the time.
In 90% of rape cases, the culprit is discovered to know the victims, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant once stated. Goans should cease blindly trusting strangers since these people often perpetrate crimes like rape.
On Sunday night in Panjim, a teenage girl traveling with 13 other friends to the city for a Christmas party was sexually assaulted by the bus driver from Zuarinagar. The Women’s Police Station detained Chandrashekhar in Panjim. He was from Zuarinagar, Birla-Verna. The Judicial Magistrate First Class ordered him to spend the next four days in police detention (JMFC). When the event happened, the bus was parked at Patto-Panjim when the accused driver allegedly committed the crime.
The Smart City CCTV Cameras Thar Captured the rape incident
The Panjim Smart City Initiative has spent millions of rupees installing CCTV systems throughout the city. However, it could only be in March 2024 when the entire camera network is put into observation.
Senior Advocate Radharao Gracias criticized Goa‘s law-and-order system, saying that the police there are so dishonest that nothing gets done unless you pay them. There won’t be a fair inquiry into your complaint unless you pay the cops, he said.
“Due to the inadequate investigation, the conviction rate in such situations is relatively low. Because cops are bribed, investigations are predetermined, he said. “The incidences of crimes against women in Goa have grown so prevalent that it doesn’t even affect the sensibility of our society,” social activist Trajano D’Mello remarked. In Goa, there is no need to be afraid of the law.
“People don’t fear or care about police enforcement. Goa is the least safe place for women. According to D’Mello, God, not Goa’s law enforcement, is to thank if a lady in that state goes out and returns safely.
Police activity is at an all-time low in Goa. It seems like cops are a tool for making money. According to Senior Advocate Cleofato Coutinho, the court system has fallen short of societal expectations, giving criminals the feeling that the law would never catch up.
The Bailancho Saad Sabina Martins convenor stated, “Panjim is now crowded with visitors and revelers. However, there aren’t enough patrols and surveillance devices to monitor criminal activity. Patto is a spot to park cars, but there is little to ensure the safety of ladies there.
It is essential that this case be tried quickly and without burdening the young girl, she argued. Investigations into sensitive rape cases in Goa have an abysmal track record. You might remember that on January 14, 2013, a young girl was reportedly sexually abused in the school bathroom. The police had then filed a case against the headmistress, the administration of the school, and other people for carelessness.
Later, while the Mormugao Police looked into the carelessness element, the rape case was turned over to the CBI for additional investigation.
But for almost a decade now, neither the police nor the CBI has been able to locate the accused. The CBI investigated 14 suspects in the case, and recently detained one. He was nevertheless freed since they were unable to produce any conclusive proof.
