Goa: Woman accused in girls' torture case dead

Venus Habib, the main accused out on bail in a torture case of minor girls, died today at the Goa Medical College and Hospital here while undergoing treatment, police said.

"Habib died during treatment at the GMCH. She was out on bail and not in police custody," Vasco police inspector and investigating officer Nolasco Raposo told PTI.

The cause of her death cannot be known immediately.

Habib, 65, was arrested from Vasco town, 40 kms away from here, in April this year, after an NGO accused her of abusing and torturing eight girls between the age of 11 and 12 years at an orphanage ran by her illegally.

The girls were found confined in a flat, where they were allegedly subjected to torture, including branding them with a hot knife, police had said.

The girls were also allegedly beaten up with a pipe by Habib who claimed to have adopted them, police said.

Police rescued the girls after some locals had spotted them with injury marks.

Habib was booked under sections 363 (punishment for kidnapping) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the IPC and section 8 of the Goa Children's Act.

During probe, police also arrested one Pathlot Thakaria (60) who hails from Telangana for handing over the girls to Habib.