This is a Goa where the government and its police cleverly sidestepped controversy by initially floating a trial balloon that the rapist was identified, then later indicated that one of the relatives of the principal of the school where the victim studied could be a suspect. Following this, the father claimed and showed that he had filmed a conversation with his daughter where she had apparently “identified” the rapist from pictures and sketches and submitted the footage to the investigation officer, Sunita Sawant. For close to thirty days, Sunita Sawant had the CD with her but was clearly acting on a brief that it wasn’t given to her. We agree that the manner in which the CD was filmed and its purported contents needed investigation and wasn’t a law proof piece of evidence. But what was the justification in denying that the CD existed? We then have the curious case of Monty Sanchez, the nephew of the headmistress of the school. For close to two months, the Chief Minister played hot and cold over his involvement when a lot of circumstantial details pointed to his presence close the scene of crime. The CM finally concluded that airports had confirmed that Monty hadn’t entered Goa from Dubai where he repeatedly lives, any time before the incident. Did our so called civil society ask for evidence of this? Did our RTI crusaders who bombard media inboxes with their campaigns exposing inappropriate educational qualificationsfor government appointees, do as much for the little girl? And crucially when did any of you last hear of a suspect given a clean chit by the Chief Minister with not a murmur from the investigating agency? We clearly ask, was this incompetence or an involved cover up? While the Chief Minister winces at the phrase “cover up”, we are sorry that this will keep on coming up on our pages as long as this government doesn’t uncover this case. But the bigger cover up is this – handing the case over to the CBI. While some cases demand critical intervention from the CBI because the local police is thoroughly compromised, it is also used as a safe parking lot for a government machinery on the run from truth. We suspect that has happened in the Vasco rape case, where answers are not being sought and the deft dispatch to the CBI is to close the lid on questions. While the local CBI office has received government communication, it won’t even pick up the phone and say hello to the local crime branch, leave alone start looking at the case files. For the Goa police, this is no longer theirs. Which brings us back to – well, us. We, who have no jurisdiction or control over our voices. We, who have no control over our actions in the online space, and have used, abused and misused it oft en. Did one online petition come up for the justice of this girl? Was one public meeting held? Was one march planned to the Chief Minister’s office? Let there be little or no doubt on this. This happened in a school, in a closed space, with the rapist knowing the victim and her family. We do not know whose interests this government is protecting. It isn’t protecting Goa’s, for sure. The Goan called this little girl “Angel”. Even Angels have no mercy or justice from any of us in Goa. We are guilty.
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 10:35:16 +0000
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