Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jun 14: Goa Police are expanding their investigation into the alleged sexual assault of three underage girls at a Calangute hotel, focusing on whether the two arrested suspects may have groomed other victims, including minors, through social media.

Suspects Under Interrogation for Wider Network

Altaf Mujawar, a teenager from Karnataka, and Om Naik from Porvorim have been arrested and are currently being interrogated. Authorities are looking into their potential involvement with more victims. A police source revealed, "We are examining whether the duo used social networking apps to lure young girls because in this case, Mujawar trapped one of them through Instagram. The conversation progressed online and she was eventually invited to meet him."

The Events Leading to the Assault

Investigations have so far revealed that one of the girls, unaware of the danger, invited two other minors to accompany her to what the accused described as an "Eid party." Police sources stated, "Mujawar and Naik met the girls at a hilly spot near Porvorim where they allegedly made them consume alcohol before taking them to the hotel. The girls were intoxicated again in the hotel and lodged in separate rooms where the accused sexually assaulted them."

The victims were reported missing from Agassaim on June 7. According to police details, one complainant reported her two daughters, aged 15 and 13, did not return home, while a tenant on the same premises reported her 11-year-old daughter also missing, likely with the other two. It is understood that the accused took advantage of the girls being late, deciding to keep them overnight at the hotel with plans to drop them home the next morning, by which time police had already begun their search.

A senior officer confirmed that the investigation has now widened to determine if more girls were similarly approached by the accused. Their social media accounts are also under scrutiny.

Call for 'Grooming' to Be a Punishable Offence

The Victims Assistance Unit (VAU) has urgently called for the government to recognize 'grooming' as a serious punishable offense to prevent further sexual assault and rape cases. VAU head Emidio Pinho emphasized, "Children's vulnerability is often exploited by adults, not because they lack resistance, but because of circumstances. They are carefully groomed to make them feel helpless and defenceless. This superficial show of care and love by the perpetrators shows only their sexual needs are fulfilled and thereafter they move on to another victim."

Last year, the VAU assisted in approximately 400 cases related to children, including abuse, sexual assault, and runaways, a slight decrease from around 500 cases in 2023.

Hotel Sealed, Owner Arrested

Meanwhile, Calangute police have sealed the hotel where the minors were allegedly taken. A separate FIR has been registered against the hotel owner, Rajan Chauhan from Haryana, and Manager Mansoor Peer from Jammu & Kashmir. Chauhan has been arrested for illegally accommodating minors without parental consent, while Peer’s arrest formalities were underway on Friday.