PANAJI: Three young girls, ages 11 to 15, including two sisters, were raped by two friends in a hotel in Calangute on Saturday after receiving an invitation to celebrate Eid. Both accused, ages 19 and 21, were taken into custody by Goa Police.
Later in the day, Rajat Chauhan, a Haryana native and hotel owner, was also taken into custody on suspicion of aiding the crime by permitting the young girls to remain without parental approval or verification.
The 19-year-old accused made friends with the 15-year-old girl on social media a few months ago and started a conversation with her. He asked her to join him in celebrating Eid last week.
In order to meet the prime accused, the 15-year-old, who police characterized as the 19-year-old accused’s “girlfriend,” went home on Saturday with her 13-year-old sister and an 11-year-old friend.
The prime accused and his 21-year-old companion reserved a room at a hotel in Calangute, where they checked in with the three minors to spend the night and cut a cake to celebrate the 15-year-old girl’s birthday. Police will also cancel the license, seal the hotel, and arrest the owner.
The chief accused then allegedly repeatedly assaulted his “girlfriend” while his companion raped the other two youngsters. According to North Goa SP Rahul Gupta, the family of the 15-year-old girl complained to police that the younger sisters had left their home on Saturday and had not returned.
In the meantime, the family of the 11-year-old girl filed a second complaint, claiming that their little daughter had vanished and that they believed she might have gone out with the first complainant’s daughters.
“All three of the minor survivors were saved from a Calangute motel following painstaking efforts and the development of the information through trustworthy technical and human sources. They were accompanied by two men who were arrested and taken to the police station. The accused checked into two separate hotel rooms, according to the hotel’s investigation,” SP Gupta stated.
Two different FIRs were filed in the matter by Goa police.
“During the investigation, both accused were arrested,” SP Gupta said.
Hotel manager/receptionist Mansoor Shafi Peer, a J&K native, and hotel owner Chauhan were arrested by Calangute police for allegedly aiding and abetting the murder.
“We are sealing the hotel and moving for the cancellation of its licence,” SP Gupta said, adding that hotel management and owners will not be spared if they give a room to a child in the absence of any family or relatives accompanying him/her.
“This is in violation of Goa Children’s Act. If any such violation is noticed in the future too, strict action will be taken,” he said.
