Goa
College Girl Raped By Classmates
By Rupesh Sawant
ndtv.com
28 May 2003
In a shocking incident, an 18-year-old girl studying at the College
of Art in Panjim, was raped by her own classmates during a college party.
The accusedfive students and a canteen contractorhave been
arrested and are presently in police custody.
The victim says she was offered
a cigarette by a few senior students, which unknown to her was laced
with drugs. When she lost consciousness they took her to a nearby toilet
and raped her.
"Students came in to
drink tea and she was sitting here with fellow students, smoking a cigarette,"
said Pushpa Dabolkar, a worker at the college canteen.
The incident has come as
a shock to people in the state, which has always enjoyed a reputation
of being a safe place, especially for women.
There is also outrage at
the police's behaviour as it was initially
reluctant to register the victim's complaint. But the police have
denied any lapse on its part and claims it will take strong action.
"We have already put
our best officers on this case, we will do our
best," said Kernal Singh, DIG Police, Goa.
In recent months, the number
of crimes reported against women in Goa has been on the rise. But this
is the first time such a crime has been reported from within the so-called
safe confines of a college. And it is clearly an indication of the growing
need for vigilance in this state.