Curchorem bandh threat over sex racket videos

Margao: Curchorem residents, led by Curchorem municipal chairperson Pramod Naik and some councillors, marched to the police station demanding a fair probe into alleged sex-racket videos involving minors. The protestors warned of a bandh if police failed to act immediately and arrest the accused within 48 hours.

The residents demanded that the police register a suo motu FIR in the case rather than wait for victims to come forward. The alleged involvement of a son of a sitting councillor has given the development a political significance.

PI Melson Colaco assured the delegation that appropriate action would be taken.

State Congress president Amit Patkar demanded that govt should step in, take suo motu cognisance, and order a prompt, impartial, and time-bound inquiry. Patkar said that delays and political influence obstructed justice in similar cases in the country, and said Goa could not afford such a failure. He said that the privacy, identity, and dignity of every victim must be safeguarded, and that those responsible must be brought to justice.

Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai also urged govt for an independent investigation and demanded that victim identities be fully protected, circulation of related material be stopped, and the guilty be punished.