Thursday, November 06, 2008

Rohit says he was in Mumbai, Pune

Rohit says he was in Mumbai, Pune

Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Although the German minor girl has claimed in her statement that she had had sex with Rohit Monserrate, the education minister’s son has denied any physical relationship with her.
He told the police that he knew the minor and admitted that she is a friend. Besides that, he had no relation with her, Rohit told the police.
Responding to queries from police on whether he had sent the “obscene” SMSs to the minor, Rohit said that he often left his mobile on the table and anyone could have used it.
In his four-page statement to the police on Saturday, hours before the girl gave her statement to the Mapusa court, Rohit reportedly said he was in Pune and Mumbai between October 14 (when the police booked cases against him) and November 1 (when he gave his statement to the police) checking out on a dealership for Audi cars.
SP (North) Bosco George refused to divulge any information on the contents of the minor’s statement and simply said, “Our duty is to collect as much evidence as possible to ensure that the case goes up for trial. In spite of all the difficulties we are facing from the complainant and minor daughter, we are trying our best to collect as much evidence as possible.”
George added, “We are still interrogating Rohit and have nothing to reveal.”

November 06, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Rohit gets 3-day police custody

Rohit gets 3-day police custody
Children’s Court Fixes Case For Hearing On November 7
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji: Education minister Atanasio Monserratte’s son Rohit, who was arrested on Tuesday on charges of raping a minor German girl, was remanded to three days police custody by the judicial magistrate first class, Mapusa, even as he approached the children’s court seeking bail.
Meanwhile, the high court of Bombay at Goa, which had taken suo moto cognizance of the lethargic police investigations into the case, noted on Wednesday that some progress has been made.
Judge P V Kamat, in-charge of the children’s
court set up under the Goa Children’s Act, 2005 to deal with offences committed against minors, issued notices to the prosecution for their reply and fixed the matter for hearing at 2.30 pm on November 7.
Rohit, in his bail application submitted through his lawyers, said that the case was based on assumptions. He claimed that his further custody was no longer required as police have carried out investigations and necessary medical examinations. He also said that a false case has been slapped on him and he was willing to stand trial to prove his innocence.
Meanwhile, justice N A Britto of the high court noted that the girl’s statement and medical examination and Rohit’s arrest—information filed by SP (north) Bosco George in his affidavit— showed that some progress had been made in the case.
On October 24, the high court had suo motu taken cognizance of the lethargy on the part of the police in arresting the accused and had treated the case as a public interest litigation (PIL). The police were ordered to produce a record of the investigation before the court.
Referring to the SP’s affidavit, the court on Wednesday, noted that the accused Rohit has been arrested and once arrested, he would be interrogated for further collection of evidence.
Advocate general Subodh Kantak assured the court that after the arrest accused Rohit was indeed interrogated. He further told the court that the complaint lodged by the victim’s mother on October 14 has been registered by the police.
Referring to another complaint filed by the mother on October 24 alleging that PWD minister Churchill Alemao’s nephew Warren also sexually exploited the minor, Kantak said this complaint was also being investigated.
The court, meanwhile, directed the police to file furthesr affidavits and submit a report on the subsequent investigation by November 20. The matter has been placed for hearing on November 21.
Earlier on on October 14, the mother of the German minor had filed a police complaint accusing Rohit of sexually assaulting her daughter, outraging her modesty and raping her—offences punishable under sections 354 and 376 of Indian Penal Code and under the Goa Children’s Act. She had also demanded that as the mobile phone which was used to send “obscene” messages to the girl was registered in the education minister’s name, a case should be registered against him for abetting the crime.
The minor girl had however refused to give her statement or submit to a medical examination till November 2. Following her statement on Saturday and medical examination on Sunday, Rohit was arrested.

November 06,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Goa;I met Rohit at Miramar hotel: Girl

I met Rohit at Miramar hotel: Girl
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: The German minor, whose mother alleges had been raped by Rohit Monserrate, reportedly met the education minister’s son through mutual friends at a Miramar hotel about 4-5 months back. She reportedly said in her statement that 2-3 weeks before her mother lodged a missing complaint on October 2, she met Rohit again.
Although police officials refused to come on record, sources quoted the girl as saying that she was accompanied by X (a friend) and Rohit had with him Y (his friend). X then received a call and he left with Y.
Rohit then took her for a drive in his Audi to Bambolim, she said. It was during this drive that Rohit told the German girl that he wanted to have sex with her. She claimed that she initially refused, but when he kept on insisting, she consented.
According to the girl’s statement, Rohit then dropped her at the KTC bus stand as she had to reach home by 8 pm—the deadline her mother had set for her. The girl claimed she took a pilot motorcycle. She went to bed and didn’t tell her mother about the incident.
The minor said that once when she was asleep, her mother accepted a call on her mobile and saw the “obscene” SMSs. The girl is reported to have also claimed that one day Jennifer Monserrate, Rohit’s mother, had come with someone to the house. However, she admitted that she did not know what transpired as she was upstairs. Jennifer has denied making such a visit.
The girl has not named PWD minister Churchill Alemao’s nephew Warren although her mother has alleged he too had sexually exploited the minor.

November 06,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition