In a shocking incident, a five-year-old girl was found raped and murdered at a construction site in Vasco in south Goa on Friday morning. Meanwhile, 20 suspects have been rounded up for questioning, a senior police official said.
She was found unconscious at the construction site in Vadem area in the early hours of the day and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared her dead on arrival, Superintendent of Police (South) Sunita Sawant told reporters.
"The post-mortem report confirmed she was sexually assaulted and strangled. A rape and murder case was registered under the Indian Penal Code, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Goa Children's Act," the SP said.
"Some 20 suspects, mostly labourers living in the vicinity, have been rounded up by Vasco police for questioning. Further probe is underway," she added.
NCPCR takes cognisance
Priyank Kanoongo, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chairperson, said, "We have taken cognizance in this matter. By issuing a notice to the Goa government, we will provide a detailed report. We need a strict law and its implementation. Stringent implementation of every law especially of POCSO and the Juvenile Justice Act by every agency is the way to protect children. In India, POCSO is itself a strict law, we don't need a new law. We need its (POCSO) implementation in a better convergent manner. Once the test report is out, then we will see the further course of action."
(With inputs from PTI)
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