india

Updated: May 14, 2019 00:00 IST

The minor girl who had accused former Goa minister Atanasio Monserrate of buying her from her mother, drugging and raping her has been missing from the private facility where she was housed since April 28, police said.

Police inspector Sandesh Chodankar said the nuns at the home had filed a missing complaint on May 10. “We have lodged a missing complaint and are making efforts to trace her,” Chodankar told HT. He said the girl was not admitted in the shelter home by the police and her stay was entirely private.

In 2016, the girl had told a counsellor that she was sold by her mother to Monseratte, who is the Congress candidate for Panaji bypoll, for ₹50 lakh and that he had drugged her and raped her at his home in Taleigao.

Monserrate, however, has denied the charges and had surrendered himself to the police a few days after the case was filed.

The Goa Congress women’s wing has said that their candidate was ‘framed.’ “We know that he has been framed by this vindictive government,” they said.