Panaji, April 04: A 23-year-old tribal man was arrested Monday on charge of raping a 13-year-old girl who delivered a baby last week, police said.
The police arrested Nitesh Velip, a tribal from Quepem, a rural area 45 km from here.
According to the police, the baby was born prematurely and died a few days after the delivery at a hospital in Quepem.
Velip has been booked under relevant section of the Goa Children’s Act as well as section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, a senior police officer said.
Interestingly, Auda Viegas, who runs a local women’s rights organisation Bailancho Ekvott, said that the Velip and the victim, both tribals, had been betrothed according to the customs of the Velip tribe.
“They were supposed to formally get married once they attained legal marriageable age,” said Viegas, whose NGO was roped in by police to counsel the victim.
—-IANs