A huge sexual scandal has rocked Goa and all of India. Soham Naik, a 20-year-old man, was arrested for reportedly filming and distributing nude images/videos of more than a dozen girls, many of whom were minors.
Investigators are working fast, and police have charged him with serious offenses including: rape, cheating, criminal intimidation, and circulating obscene material. Naik is also charged under the severe POCSO Act and the Information Technology Act.
Multiple Victims and Disturbing Facts
As investigators continue to investigate, it is clear how large this catastrophe actually is. Reports indicate that Naik exploited a large number of victims over a prolonged period. While initial reports stated there could be between 15 -30 girls involved, the Congress Party has stated there is far more to this crisis.
Amit Patkar, Goa Congress chief, spoke to reporters and stated, “The number of victims is over 100, he has been involved for three years with multiple victms, this sex scandal is much larger than what is being reported.” So far, four women have made official complaints against Naik, including Naik’s girlfriend.
The Sisters Targeted
Two sisters were victims of this terrible situation; one sister is a minor. Paperwork submitted to authorities confirmed both sisters have accused Naik of rape. Currently, police are searching for other possible victims, but it is a painstakingly slow process because they are sifting through a tremendous amount of digital information. Authorities have requested other potential victims to contact them so they can build a solid case against the alleged perpetrator, Naik.
Political Drama and Allegations
This case has turned into a political battle; the father of Soham Naik, Sushant Naik, is a Municipal Councilman who has ties to the BJP party. However, the BJP is attempting to separate themselves from the Naik family.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar stated to the press that Sushant Naik was not a member of the BJP party since Municipal Council elections are not held on a party basis. He also claimed that the BJP condemns this type of horrendous crime and that they will have nothing to do with this scandal.
Questions Over Police Delay
The Congress has asked several questions regarding the delay in taking action by law enforcement. Amit Patkar explained that Naik is only just now 21 years old, meaning that he was also only 17/18 years old at the time of committing these crimes.
“Initially the Curchorem police were slow to register the case against Naik, only doing so after being pressured to do so by residents of the area,” said Patkar. He also raised questions regarding the lack of involvement of the State Commissions for women and child rights up until now. “The community of Curchorem is very upset and has been calling for immediate justice in this case,” said Patkar.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
