

PANAJI: A 17-year old girl was allegedly raped on Thursday night by the conductor of a bus that plies on the Mapusa-Tivim route. The rape was allegedly committed on a hillock at Cansabhat, Tivim, by Mahendra Kauthankar, 25, a resident of Madel, Tivim, police said.

Mapusa police , in the wee hours of Friday, arrested the accused and the JMFC , Mapusa, granted six days police custody .

Police said that the victim girl on Thursday night went with her friends to watch a drama at a nearby temple. The accused, at around 9.30pm, reached near the temple and called the victim girl to him, and asked her to accompany him.

Police said that as the victim refused to listen to him, the accused threatened the girl and forced her to sit on his bike, and then took her to the hillock where he raped her. After the rape, the accused dumped the victim on the hillock and left the place.

Police said that the victim girl called the police control room and informed them about the incident. Mapusa police rushed to the spot and brought the victim to the police station, and informed her family members about the incident.

The sister of the victim girl, in her complaint, said that Kauthankar had struck up a friendship with her sister under the pretext of marrying her. She also said that the accused took her sister to the hillock by threatening her.

Police, though, said that Kauthankar had developed a friendship with the victim as she used to travel in the bus in which he was a conductor.

The victim was sent for medical examination to the Goa Medical College and Hospital ( GMC ) at Bambolim. Police said that the medical examination confirmed rape.

Police have registered a case under Sections 354, 376 & 504, IPC and Section 8 of the Goa Children Act.

