Karwar/ Nagpur: Almost ten days after two minor girls went missing from a madrassa in Bhatkal and were traced to Goa, one of the girls complained to police that she ran away as she had been allegedly raped by her father and brother-in-law. She also alleged that while making the bid to escape to Goa, she and her friend were allegedly raped by two persons in Bhatkal taluk. Police have arrested three persons in this connection.
According to Uttara Kannada SP R Dileep, on November 23, Hafeez Abdul Khadeer Yusuf Dange, secretary of the madrassa, had lodged a complaint with Bhatkal rural police alleging that the two minor girls who were staying in the madrassa hostel had gone missing since November 18. These girls had left the madrassa without informing anybody. Police then formed a team under Addl SP Devaraju and Bhatkal ACP Anup Shetty, began a search for the missing girls. A team led by Prashant Nayak, Circle police inspector of Bhatkal, finally traced the girls to Goa.
They were brought back to Bhatkal and during investigation the girls made the shocking revelation. One of the girls alleged that when she went home recently during vacation, she was raped separately by her father and brother-in-law. After she returned to the madrassa, she related the incident to her friend. Thereafter, both of them decided to go to Goa in search of work.
On the night of November 18, they left for Kumta railway station in a car. They alleged that while waiting for the train, two youths approached them, took their photographs and forced them at knifepoint to accompany them on their motorbikes, threatening to otherwise upload their photos on social media. The girls alleged that they went along and were raped the men, who later brought them back to Kumta railway station and warned them to keep quiet.
Thereafter the girls left for Goa but were traced by the police team. Police have arrested three of the four accused under Pocso Act but have refused to disclose their names.
The incident comes just a week after a tailor, Naseer Abdul Rauf Neelagiri, was arrested for rape. Naseer, 35, kidnapped a girl from the same madrassa and took her to Kumta and Hubli in a car and repeatedly raped her. It was alleged that the crime was committed with the active connivance. The new incident has shocked people because the accused happen to be the girl’s kin.
