A beach resort owner, who has been accused of allegedly raping a 25-year-old Russian tourist has surrendered before a lower court in Goa on Wednesday.
A police spokesperson said that James D’Souza, who runs the ‘Morjim Club’ in the beach village of Morjim in north Goa, surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate First Class Pernem, after going missing for six days.
“We have formally arrested the accused James D’Souza after he surrendered before the magistrate on Wednesday. We will produce him for remand on Thursday,” the spokesperson said.
The alleged rape of the Russian tourist, in her own hotel room by D’Souza on Thursday (April 28), had triggered a lot of criticism of the functioning of the State police as well as the Home Ministry both from the Russian consular officials as well as Ministers in the BJP-led coalition Government.
While honorary consul for Russia Victor Albuquerque had maintained that the police “had not contacted” his office following the registration of offence, Parulekar told The Pioneer that he was not happy with the functioning of the police, especially while dealing with a crime which, he said, brought “shame to Goa”.
“The rape of the Russian woman is a matter of shame. The police should have acted quickly. I do not look after the home department and I, as tourism minister, will move a note to the home department seeking that the (criminal) enquiry should be conducted as soon as possible and taken to the logical conclusion,” Parulekar had said.