The man who allegedly raped a nine-year-old Russian at a beach in Goa earlier this week has been arrested in Mumbai. Aman Bhardwaj was found in Chembur on Friday evening, hours after his alleged accomplice was found at a bus stand in Panjim, Goa.
The two men allegedly approached a Russian woman on Tuesday evening at a beach in North Goa. While Anil Raghuvanshi distracted the mother by engaging in conversation with her, Bharadwaj allegedly disappeared with the child. Doctors have confirmed she was raped.
The case has left the Goa government deeply embarrassed, partly because it has publicly strained the alliance between the two parties that form the government. Goa's Tourism Minister Mickey Pacheco has attacked the Chief Minister for not doing enough to protect tourists.
Pacheco has accused the chief minister of inaction. Speaking to a TV channel, he said: "I'm tired of taking up the matter with the concerned ministry."
Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco is from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) while Chief Minister Digamber Kamat is from the Congress.
The Chief Minister says he is directly supervising the investigation and will report directly to the Centre, which has also expressed its concern over the crime.
The Russian Embassy on Thursday expressed its outrage over the "disgusting" incident and demanded "strict and efficient" measures to ensure the safety of its citizens, failing which it said it will issue a travel advisory against Goa.
