PANAJI: Accused of allegedly raping a minor girl, St Cruz MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate has filed a bail application before the children’s court, Panaji. The matter is likely to come up for hearing on Monday.
Along with Babush the other two alleged accused, the mother of the victim and Rosy Ferros will be produced before the court on Monday as their remand ends. Their bail applications too are also likely to come up for hearing on Monday.
Babush has claimed that there is a political conspiracy and he has been falsely implicated in the case with the sole intention of weakening him politically.
According to Babush, he is innocent and not involved in any offence against the alleged minor girl or otherwise and that sections have been fraudulently applied pursuant to the political conspiracy against him.
Babush has also claimed that the police have not been conducting any investigation to unearth facts which would reveal the falsity of the charges leveled against him.
The MLA, in his bail application, has said that being an active politician and as a public figure, determined to make his mark in public life, he has political foes, particularly in the ruling party.
As per Babush, the alleged minor girl has come up with an imaginary story of indirectly suggesting that she was drugged and abused at his farm house in Taleigao.
Babush claimed he could have never met the alleged minor girl or been in her company either on March 6 or 8 because the said days were the election and counting days, respectively, of the recently-concluded Panaji municipal corporation when he was busy on the streets with his friends, supporters and candidates, from early morning to late night.
Babush claims that the entire case and investigation against him is politically motivated and it appears that after gaining knowledge about the animosity of the alleged minor girl with him, the latter was manipulated and persuaded to make false allegations in order to tarnish his image and get him arrested with the sole intention of politically weakening him.
Babush has claimed that he was introduced to the minor girl in the second week of February on the plea that she was in need of a job. Accordingly, Babush referred her to his manager in charge of one of his establishments at Miramar where her services were engaged as a sales girl.
The girl worked there from February 16 to March 18. Her services were terminated as it was reported to him (Babush) that she had allegedly stolen cash from the cash counter.
In fact the girl had even confessed through SMS (sent to two persons) that she had stolen the money, Babush has claimed.
According to Babush, the alleged minor girl was earning Rs 8,000 per month and was visibly unhappy about her removal and was heard allegedly cursing him for her removal and vowing to teach him a lesson.
