Two sisters among victims in Goa sex scandal: Police
Panaji (PTI): Investigations into an alleged sex scandal involving a Goa councillor's son have shown that he exploited multiple victims, including two sisters, one of them a minor, police said on Sunday.
So far, four females, including the girlfriend of 20-year-old accused Soham Naik, have filed police complaints against him, they said.
The police's Crime Branch, which is investigating the case, has received statements from four females -- two of them minors -- who claimed that they were sexually exploited by Naik, son of a councillor from Curchorem Municipal Council in Goa's Kushavati district, as per officials.
The Curchorem police arrested Naik on March 22 for allegedly raping several girls and circulating their obscene videos. The action came after locals protested outside the Curchorem police station.
The case was later handed over to the Crime Branch.
So far, four females have filed complaints against the accused, who is currently in the Crime Branch's custody, while attempts are underway to reach out to more potential victims, a senior official privy to the investigation told PTI.
Among the four, two sisters, including a minor, have deposed before the police, accusing Naik of raping them, the official said.
The Crime Branch has sent Naik's mobile phone for forensic examination.
The accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Goa Children's Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act
The ruling BJP has said that the accused and his politician father had no connection with the saffron party.
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Rupee falls 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 20 paise to 95.43 against US dollar in early trade on Tuesday as market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces in the Gulf region.
Forex traders said investor anxiety due to instability in the Gulf is causing massive capital flight into safe-haven assets, with the US dollar acting as the primary beneficiary.
Moreover, Brent oil prices is hovering near USD 113 per barrel, maintaining pressure on oil-importing economies like India.
At the interbank foreign exchange market the rupee opened at 95.30 then lost ground to touch 95.43 against the US dollar, in initial trade, registering a fall of 20 paise over its previous close.
Rupee fell 39 paise to close at an all-time low of 95.23 against the US dollar on Monday.
"With oil boiling rupee on Monday fell to a closing low of 95.0875 and this morning the opening was still lower as it becomes more and more vulnerable when dollar index rises due to safe-haven buying and oil prices rise due to the continuous fighting in the Gulf Region," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
The higher oil prices will keep rupee sold off against the dollar as oil companies and FPIs intensify dollar buying, Bhansali added.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.51, up 0.15 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 1.07 per cent at USD 113.22 per barrel in futures trade.
"Market sentiments remained fragile after renewed military exchanges between US and Iranian forces when Iranian forces launched fresh attacks in the Gulf as both sides sought to assert control over the strategic waterway," Bhansali said.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex declined 361.62 points to 76,907.78 in early trade, while the Nifty dropped 134.90 points to 23,980.60.
Foreign Institutional Investors purchased equities worth Rs 2,835.62 crore on Monday, according to exchange data.
