Vasco cops unearth adoption racket while probing kidnap case

Arrest Telangana native for procuring infants and supplying them to accused Habib

Team Herald

VASCO: The case of kidnapping, torture and assault on eight minor girls in which the Vasco police have arrested a 65-year-old woman Venus Habib, a resident of Baina, took an interesting turn as Vasco police now suspect child adoption network. On Friday, police arrested a Telangana native for his involvement in procuring infants and supplying them to main accused Venus Habib.

It may be recalled that following complaint from NGO Childline, the Vasco police recently raided a flat at Baina and rescued eight minor girls, aged between 11 and 12 and arrested Habib on the charges of kidnapping, torture and assault on the girls.

“Since we wanted to know the source from where the accused lady had adopted the minor girls, a police team led by PSI Diago Gracious rushed to Telangana to find out more about the story behind the 8 ‘adopted’ girls who became the alleged abuse victims of Venus Habib. After a detailed inquiry, the police team managed to arrest one Pathlot Thakaria (60), a native of Telangana, and brought him to the Vasco police station on Friday. We later produced him before JMFC Vasco and the court remanded him in police custody for seven days,” Vasco PI Nolasco Raposo said.

“We are investigating as to from where the accused Telangana native had procured the girls whom he later supplied to main accused Venus Habib. We are trying to investigate this child adoption racket. We will not spare any efforts to bring the accused persons to book and to bring the case to logical conclusion,” Raposo vowed.

He also said that the medical test to check sexual, abuse if any, on the rescued minors will be conducted shortly. Meanwhile, the hearing on bail application filed by main accused Venus Habib has been adjourned to next week and the court have extended police custody of the Habib by another six days.

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