Goa Police Managed to crack the rape case involving a British national which took place near Palolem beach in Canacona. According to the sources, police managed to Nab the culprit from Margao while he was in process of escaping from the state. The CCTV Footage of railways station played a vital role in nabbing the culprit, revealed the sources. This is the record time crackdown in the rape case by Goa police in which the special police teams from Margao, Curchorem, Sanguem, and Canacona worked together.
According to the report published in the local daily, The Navhind Times, special squad of police team led by the South Goa SP and consisted of SDPO, Quepm, Utam Raut Dessai; DySP, crime, Sammy Tavares; Curchorem PI Ravi Desai; Sanguem PI Sagar Ekoskar among others managed to nab the 30-year-old Ramachandran, native of Tamil Nadu from Margao, while he along with his friend were in process of fleeing from the state.
The Accused Ramachandran had raped the 42-year-old British national a few meters away from the four road junction at Canacona, at around 4.30 am when the British woman was returning to her room after waiting for nearly two hours for the train to Margao.
The victim was walking to her room when the accused followed her and attacked her by catching hold of her neck. He forcefully removed her trousers and raped her. The woman then sought the help of some locals who called the police.
The police sources revealed that the rapist is a history-sheeter and is wanted by the Pernem police for alleged involvement in a Rs 32 lakh robbery case.
The police said that CCTV Cameras installed in the vicinity caught the accused following her. The CCTV footage eventually helped the police in zeroing in on the accused, and he was caught by the railway police.
The Chronicles of the Incident
Giving details of the rape case, South Goa superintendent of police Arvind Gauns said that Ramachandran and his friend came to Margao late Wednesday night on a scooter and rented a room in a hotel close to the railway station. Ramachandran left for Canacona on the scooter the same night, reaching the railway station late midnight.
Meanwhile, the British woman was in process of going to Margao, and hence she left her room in Palolem and reached the Canacona Railway station in the midnight. But she found out that the train she was supposed to travel has been delayed and hence she decided to return back to her room in Palolem after waiting for two long hours for the train.
The Accused who was at Canacona railway station spotted the woman and started following her. When she walked a few meters away from the railway station Ramchandran stopped her and snatched away from her bags containing cash and other valuables, the SP said.
Gauns said that Ramachandran raped the British woman and fled from the scene. He came to the hotel room in Margao at 7.30 am on Thursday, where his friend was staying. The police said the accused robbed the woman of cash amounting to Rs 20,000, debit cards, passport and other items including three bags.
The police said that while a medical report is still awaited, preliminary reports have confirmed fresh injuries on private parts of the victim. Some scratch marks have also been found on the body of the accused, the police said, adding that the samples taken from the accused will be sent for DNA matching.
The Investigation Process
While doing the investigation of this rape case, the Goa police constituted the special team of police led by the South Goa SP and consisted of SDPO, Quepm, Utam Raut Dessai; DySP, crime, Sammy Tavares; Curchorem PI Ravi Desai; Sanguem PI Sagar Ekoskar among others.
The police team roped in the services of forensic personnel and a dog squad. However, the sniffer dog could not provide much lead, although the police did find sandals and shawl of the UK woman from the site of the crime.
During the investigation process, the police brought the CCTV footage on record and started looking out for the accused. The case took a dramatic twist when the railway police arrested the accused at the Margao police station on suspicion as he was wanted by the Pernem police in connection with the Rs 32 lakh robbery case.
He had broken into a hotel room at Morjim and had decamped with goods worth Rs 32 lakh belonging to a couple from Mumbai. The CCTV footage helped the police in establishing the link of the accused with the rape case as a jacket had been recovered, the police said.
The Conclusion
The accused finally confessed of raping the woman and police had registered the case against him under sections 376 and 394 for rape and robbery. Police sent the accused for a medical examination at GMC (Goa Medical College) at Bambolim. The police have seized the scooter used in committing the offense and recovered the stolen items.
According to the sources, the British Embassy has not yet been informed about the incident.
Now that the accused is behind the bar let us see how long this case takes to reach its conclusion so that the accused gets punished. The case of Danielle is still pending in the court for more than one and a half year and the culprits are not yet punished.
Source: NT
