In a shocking incident, a 20-year-old man was apprehended by the Goa Police for allegedly sharing explicit photos and videos of several girls, including minors. The accused was charged with the following: rape, distribution of indecent material, fraud, intimidation through criminal acts, and the act of dangerous selectivity based upon these allegations against the accused.
Identified as Soham Naik, the 20-year-old accused, is reportedly the son of a municipal councillor associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. As per the investigation, the victims of the incident include two sisters, with one 17 years old and the other 20 years old.
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Along with other charges, Naik will also be prosecuted for violating both the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and the Information Technology Act (IT Act).
It has been reported that the accused may have victimised up to 30 young girls; however, this may be an under-representation of the total number of victims. According to the Indian National Congress party, the total number of women may exceed 100, many of whom have been victimised for approximately three years.
"The number of victims exceeds 100. The accused had been perpetrating the crime for the last three years. This sex scandal is much bigger than what it is being made out to be," said Goa Congress chief Amit Patkar.
According to the officials, four victims have complaints against the accused, including his girlfriend. Efforts are also underway to identify as many other potential victims as possible.
The BJP party officials have denied any official connection. "Municipal council elections are not fought on party symbols," former Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar said.
"The act (scandal) is shameful, and in no way is the BJP supporting it. We are condemning the act," the former MP told reporters.
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Meanwhile, Congress member Amit Patkar expressed his concern over the delayed response to action against the accused, stating that actions have been taken against Naik almost three years after the incidents began.
"The accused turned 21 this week. It means he was involved in the crime since he was 17-18. The Curchorem police were initially reluctant to register the case and did so only after pressure from residents. Why have the Goa State Women's Commission, the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the state education department not swung into action as yet," HT quoted Patkar.