Goa Cong leaders appear in court for revealing molestation victim's identity

Goa Congress leader Pratima Coutinho and two others appeared in a children's court here on Friday in connection with a case over revealing the identity of a minor girl who is a molestation victim.

The party's state women's wing chief Coutinho, former district president of Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress Savitri Kavlekar and Netravalim panchayat deputy sarpanch Abhijit Desai appeared before Goa Children's Court.

Savitri is the wife of Goa Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar.

Goa Police had filed a charge sheet against Coutinho and two others last year after a complaint was filed against them for making public the picture of the girl's mother, in the process revealing the minor's identity.

The girl had accused a man of molestation in south Goa's Netravalim village.

After the hearing, Coutinho said the case was filed against her to suppress her organisation's voice as it had been critical of the state government.

Goa Children's Court president Vijaya Ambre set November 29 as the next date of hearing the matter.