A controversial legislator has come under fire after he was said to have r*ped a minor girl and trafficked others.
Indian legislature
Atanasio Monserrate, the Indian legislator who is a former Education minister of Western State of Goa, has been booked on charges of child trafficking and raping a minor girl. This was made known by police authorities in India on Thursday.
Monserrate has however not been arrested.
“The case is being handled by the crime branch of Goa Police and it is investigating the allegations of rape and child trafficking levelled by the victim,’’ a police official said, on condition of anonymity.
However, Monserrate has denied the allegations, claiming he had been framed. “The girl is 16 years old; I had employed her at my store in March, and after less than two weeks, she stole some money and I had sacked her.
“I have been framed; this is a ridiculous conspiracy,” he told newsmen.
Report says this is not the first time that the Goa legislator has been involved in a crime. He had earlier been booked in several cases, including extortion and assaulting police officials.
His son, Rohit, was also arrested for raping a minor German girl but was later freed by a court.