Panaji:
A day after thousands protested against the rape of a seven-year-old girl in a school toilet in Goa, the state police constituted a special investigating team to crack down the case.
The Crime Branch, which is currently investigating the case, has not been able to track down the accused. However, they have arrested the headmistress of the school holding her responsible for the negligence.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) O P Mishra said the team will work on all the possible clues to arrest the accused.
The police have released a sketch of the accused. The accused is suspected to be 21-23 years old, thin to medium built and has henna coloured hair with a ponytail. The police have also announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for any information that would lead to his arrest.
The Crime Branch has also registered an offence against an unknown person under Section 378 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 8 of Goa Children Act for raping a minor girl
The victim has been sent to the Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim for medical examination and her report would throw more light on the case.
Taking strong note of the incident, the Chief Minister had directed the Director General of Police to hand over the case to the Crime Branch for further investigation.
Thousands of agitated people, including parents, protested against the rape in the school premises and demanded immediate arrest of the school headmistress, and the culprit who committed the rape.
The Chief Minister, along with top administration and police officials, had to rush to the school after irate residents and friends of the victim's parents laid siege and did not allow the staff to step out.
According to the information available, the victim, who is a class II student of the high school, was allegedly raped by a stranger who entered the school premises during the interval session at around 10.30 am.
The incident came to light after the victim complained to her class teacher about pain.
The headmistress, taking immediate note of the incident, intimated the victim's parents. As the parents could not be present in the school in time, the incident was later brought to the notice of the Mormugao police at around 2.30 pm.
The delay in intimating the police created panic among the agitated people, who had started gathering in the school premises.
Despite the incident occurring at around 10.30 am, the victim was made to sit in the office room of the school for about eight hours and only then was she sent to the GMC for medical examination. This further angered the crowd and parents who had gathered in the school.
(With PTI inputs)