Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that the truth behind the missing woman, who had alleged rape by former minister Atanasio Monserratte, would be revealed soon.
The Chief Minister said that his government has initiated high level inquiry into the episode of missing woman, and he is getting reports on daily basis about it.
Sawant said that very soon, the truth behind the missing of the woman, would be revealed.
A 19-year-old woman who had accused Monserratte of raping her in the year 2016, when she was 17, has been missing from a Rehabilitation Centre in South Goa since April 28.
Monserratte is currently contesting upcoming Panaji by-election on Congress ticket against BJP’s Siddharth Kunkolienkar and Goa Suraksha Manch’s Subhash Velingkar, besides others.
Sawant told reporters that State government has launched a massive hunt to know the whereabouts of the woman. “The woman was not in the custody of State government. She was referred to a Rehabilitation Centre at the advice of Child Welfare Committee constituted as per the Court directives,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that he has asked Police department to give him report on day-to-day basis on efforts taken to trace the woman.
After the news of woman missing from Rehabilitation Centre was flashed in media, Congress party had blamed State government for failure to provide her protection.
Goa-based NGO Hope Foundation, whose one of the member is witness in the case, told reporters on Wednesday that State should provide protection to the witnesses.
“The witnesses in this case should be provided the protection. Also efforts should be made to trace the girl as soon as possible,” Andrea Pereira, Director, Hope Foundation told reporters.
She said that the State government should question everyone including accused in the case to know the whereabouts of the girl.
