Goa cop acquitted in sexual abuse case

Panaji: A Goa court today acquitted a suspended head constable who alongwith two other policemen was accused of sexually abusing a woman at a police station.

District Judge?B P Deshpande acquitted Waman Naik, giving him benefit of doubt.

Head constables Naik and Santosh Vengurlekar and constable Vijay Gaikwad were suspended on December 6, 2012, after a commercial sex worker filed a complaint against them with the Goa crime branch.

The crime branch alleged that Naik had "forcible sexual intercourse with a commercial sex worker, tried to extort protection money and demanded sexual favours from her in 2010-11."

Naik was arrested in January 2013 after his anticipatory bail was rejected. The other two accused policemen were also arrested and a charge sheet was filed against them. The hearing of their cases is on in court.

A commercial sex worker had complained that she was brought to Calangute police station and sexually abused by Naik and the two other policemen in 2011.

A local NGO, working for the cause of women, had helped the victim to file the complaint with the crime branch.