Aires attacked in Panaji hotel

Aires attacked in Panaji hotel
Masked Men Chop Off Fingers

TIMES NEWS NETWORK Panaji: Advocate Aires Rodrigues and historian Prajal Sakhardande were brutally assaulted by masked assailants in a Panaji hotel late Monday night.
According to advocate Jatin Naik, who was with the duo in Hotel Ashok, 5-6 assailants armed with a sword and knives, entered the premises around 10.30
and and asked for Rodrigues. Once he identified himself, the lawyer was attacked. Rodrigues, who lost two fingers on his right hand in the attack, and Sakhardande, with grievous head injuries, were admitted to Campal Clinic. Rodrigues is counsel for a German woman who has alleged that a minister’s son has been sending obscene SMSs to her minor daughter.

Aires didn’t say he was being threatened: SP George
Panaji: Advocate Aires Rodrigues and historian Prajal Sakhardande were attacked by masked miscreants on Monday night. Noted physician and activist Oscar Rebello, who was at Campal Clinic when Rodrigues and Sakhardande were rushed in, said, “Rodrigues was brought in soaked in blood. He had stab wounds. He has been taken to the operation theatre. Two fingers of his right hand have been chopped off and he has injuries on the head.”
Advocate Jatin Naik, who was with Rodrigues but had just gone out for a while, said, “When I was returning to my table I saw six or seven masked men telling each other in Konkani that ‘this is Aires who is creating trouble’ and they started attacking him. In the process Sakhardande, who was sitting next to Rodrigues was also severely injured.”
Eyewitnesses said Rodrigues, once attacked, ran into the hotel’s toilet and remained there till the assailants left. After Rodrigues ran into the toilet, the assailants started smashing bottles. The owner of the hotel had to plead with them to stop damaging his property.
SP (North) Bosco George, who visited the scene of the crime in the night, said investigations were on. He said Rodrigues had spoken to him 20 minutes before the assault but had not said he was being threatened.
Rodrigues’s friends who were with him at the hospital believe he had been attacked for supporting the German woman. Rodrigues was to meet George along with the woman and her child on Tuesday with all details against the minister’s son.
“If the police fail to act and arrest the accused within 24 hours, we would be forced to approach the human rights commission,” said Naik.

October 14,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

German mom refuses to speak to cops

German mom refuses to speak to cops
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji: The German woman who had complained to the police against a minister’s son for “sexually using” her minor daughter refused to talk to the men in uniform who had visited her house in Saligao with an NGO member to record statements from the minor girl and the mother.
Police sources said that DySP Gundu Naik along with a lady police officer and an NGO member went to the complainant’s house on Monday morning. After making the team wait for some time, the mother said that she and her daughter would only speak after consulting their lawyer.
“We tried to persuade the mother to come forward and make available evidence to build a prima facie case. But till now, it has been futile,” said SP (north) Bosco George.
The German woman, who calls herself a researcher on Hindu mythology and a translator, had lodged a complaint with the Calangute police on October 2 stating that that her daughter was being sexually used by a man much older than the girl and that upon being contacted, the child tends to behave abnormally.
“She is often trying to run away from home,” the mother had added.
Meanwhile, Utt Goenkara spokesperson and counsel for the mother, Aires Rodrigues said that he along with the mother would meet the SP (North) on Tuesday in order to press charges against the minister’s son for allegedly sexually harassing and using the 14 -year-old girl.
‘Phone belongs to minister’
Panaji: Counsel for the German mother, Aires Rodrigues said that the cell phone which was used to send lewd messages to the minor girl belonged not to the minister’s son, but to the minister himself. “We have confirmed that the mobile phone being used by the minister’s son to send obscene SMSes to the girl is actually registered in the name of his father,” he said.
“Charges will now be pressed against the minister, who will also be held responsible as it was his phone which was being used to mentally and sexually torture the minor girl,” added Rodrigues. TNN

October 14,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition