Russian girl’s rape accused gives police a slip (Roundup)

PANAJI - The alleged rapist of a nine-year-old Russian girl in Goa has given police a slip, a senior police official Thursday said.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police Ravindra Yadav told reporters that a manhunt has been launched to track down Aman Bharadwaj (aged between 25 and 30), resident of Basti district in Uttar Pradesh, working at Intech Pharmaceuticals at the Dhargal industrial estate, 40 km from here.

“He reported to work on Thursday morning at Intech Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, but slipped away after sensing something was wrong. We have announced a reward of Rs.20,000 for any information on him. We are in touch with the police in UP (Uttar Pradesh), Maharashtra and Karnataka,” Yadav said.

The police have released to the media Bharadwaj’s photograph, obtained from his employers.

The victim’s mother, in her complaint two days ago, had mentioned the company (albeit miss-spelt) where her daughter’s rapist worked.

“… told me that his name was Aman working in a medical company called Inteek and staying 3 km away from Arambol beach,” the mother said in her complaint.

Intech Pharmaceuticals is located only a few km from the Pernem police station, which is probing the case.

The mother had also accused another person of distracting her while Bharadwaj raped her minor daughter, who was swimming at Arambol beach, 45 km from Panaji Jan 26 evening.

Police have identified the second person as Anil Kumar Raghuvanshi, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, Yadav said.

The nine-year old girl’s rape has already created ripples in the state political set-up with state Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco asking state Home Minister Ravi Naik to step down if he cannot control crime against foreigners in the state.

“Ministers, who cannot handle their portfolios, should give them up. By now, the Congress high command should take action against its ministers who fail to deliver,” Pacheco said, also accusing Chief Minister Digambar Kamat of behaving in a lax manner on the issue of tourist safety.

“I had moved a confidential file to the chief minister calling for an urgent meeting between home ministry and tourism ministry officials in his presence. But there was no response from the chief minister’s office,” Pacheco said.

Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters chief minister Digambar Kamat said the state government had already submitted a report on safety of tourists in Goa to the central tourism ministry as requested by union Tourism Minister Kumari Shelja.

Crimes against foreigners, especially Russians, have seen Goa receive a lot of media flak in recent times.

A 25-year-old Russian woman was raped by a Goan politician in December last year.

Police have also been unable to crack the mysterious death of Russian teenager Elena Sukhonova, whose mangled body was found on the railway tracks near Thivim, 25 km from here.

Nearly 40,000 Russian tourists visit Goa annually.

–Indo Asian News Service