PANAJI: Goa Police have achieved a breakthrough in the alleged sexual assault case involving a three-year-old girl in Mapusa, with the arrest of the main accused in Panaji on Wednesday. The accused has been identified as Pundalik Gudge, a native of Dharwad district in Karnataka.
Addressing the media, Mapusa Police Inspector Anant Gaonkar said the accused was allegedly found hiding in Panaji before being traced and arrested by the police.
According to the police, the accused allegedly took the three-year-old girl to an abandoned building in Mapusa and sexually assaulted her. The incident reportedly occurred on Diwali night and had triggered widespread concern over child safety in Goa.
The arrest comes amid another disturbing case involving a minor reported from Canacona. A four-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted at Shristhal village late Tuesday night.
In the Canacona case, police have arrested a man in his mid-20s who is a native of Bihar. According to police, the accused had arrived in Goa just two days before the incident and was working at a local bakery.
A senior police officer confirmed that the accused in the Canacona case was arrested soon after the incident was reported. The statements of the child victim and her parents were being recorded in the presence of an NGO.
With arrests reported in both cases, Goa Police are investigating two separate alleged sexual assault incidents involving young children within a week.
The incidents have brought renewed attention to child safety and the need for stronger protection measures across the state. Further details of both investigations are awaited.
