Goa Police, on Sunday, arrested 30-year old Varun Nayyar on charges of sexually abusing a special child. The arrest was made based on a complaint filed by the victim’s parents at the Porvorim police station. The victim is a 13-year old specially-abled minor girl who is suffering from dyslexia.
The accused – son of a prominent restaurant owner in the capital city – has been remanded to an additional five days of police custody by the Goa Children’s Court. Initially, he was remanded to three days of police custody.
The news of the child’s sexual abuse has sent shockwaves across the state, with many citizens asking for the strictest of punishment for the accused who sexually assaulted the specially-abled girl.
According to reports, the girl’s parents complained to the police that the accused, Varun, took the girl to an isolated location near Panaji city in his car and then molested and sexually abused her.
Varun Nayyar, who was arrested promptly based on the parent’s complaint has been booked under section 8 of the Goa Children’s Act, including other sections of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Following his arrest, public outrage was witnessed, with many taking to social media expressing their anguish over this incident.
Avelino de Sa, President of Disability Rights Association of Goa demanding justice for the specially-abled children said, “Goa reported its second case of sexual assault of special needs child in one week. No offense registered under Section 92 of the Rights of Persons with disability act 2016 in both cases. Implement #RPWDAct2016.”
According to him, section 92 of the Rights of Persons with Disability Act (RPWD) was not imposed against the accused. However, after raising a demand, only then it was done. He has asked the police authorities to sensitize the police force of these disability rights.
Several other people even called onto citizens to boycott the family-run restaurants in view of this crime. Popular Front of India – Goa has requested police protection for the victim and her family.
According to a report in June 2020 from the Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) of the Goa Police, six children are abused every week in Goa, nearly 25% of them being sexual offenses. Most cases were reported from North Goa’s Mapusa police station, followed by Panaji and Old Goa.
Source: TOI
