JOIN USRussian woman's rape: Bail of accused cancelled
Fernandes, who is politically connected, is expected to be arrested soon. “We are in the process of taking him into custody,” SP A Deshpande said.
Accepting the prosecution’s contention, the High Court felt there was prima facie evidence to support the rape accusation against the accused. The Margao Sessions Court had granted Fernandes anticipatory bail on December 8.
Public prosecutor Carlos Ferreira told the High Court on Tuesday that the case had “all the ingredients” of a rape. The Russian woman had nearly 13 injuries on her thighs and knees which proved she had not consented to having sex with the man. He also argued that Fernandes had “planned” to take advantage of the foreigner sexually by getting her intoxicated at the Colva bar where they met on the night of December 2.
The victim, 25, who was at the shack with a girlfriend, had five drinks and asked the accused for a lift home because they were too drunk to ride their scooter.
The Russian girl who worked as a tour representative in a luxury resort here first lodged an attempt-to-rape FIR against Fernandes with the Colva police on December 3. In her complaint to the Russian embassy she said later she had been compelled to dilute her rape complaint by the police because of Fernandes’ political connections.
Fernandes, 35, who is in the business of manufacturing speed boats, stood for the state assembly elections in 2007 as a candidate of Save Goa Front which was at the time headed by Minister Churchill Alemao.
Leela asks victim to pack and leave
The luxury resort where the Russian girl worked as a tour representative has asked her to pack her bags and leave the country, reports DHNS from Panaji. The Leela hotel also asked her to surrender all the cards and documents connecting her to her place of work.
Sources said the hotel management had been supportive of the girl at first, but changed its tune after calls from certain political quarters. “They warned her to pack up and return to Moscow, if she didn’t want to get hurt by these politically influential people.”