Monserratte moves for bail in rape case

Expelled Congress MLA Atanasio Monserratte, accused of buying and raping a minor girl, today moved a bail application before the Goa Children's court here.
The former Education Minister stated in the plea that prima facie there is no case against him.
"The applicant states that police have falsely applied penal offences to the case against the applicant, which are not attracted at all to the facts. He states that sections have been fraudulently applied pursuant to the 'political conspiracy' against the applicant," the petition filed on behalf of Monserratte by his wife, Jeniffer, read.
The accused said that all the allegations made against him are "false", and the alleged minorgirl has come up with an "imaginary story" of indirectly suggesting that she was drugged andabusedat hisfarm house in Taleigao in the state.

"The applicant states that he could never have met the alleged minor girlor been in hercompany either on March 6 or March 8, 2016, because the said days were election and counting days of the recently concluded Panaji Municipal Corporation elections," the plea further read.
According to Monserratte, who was arrested on May 5, the entire case and investigation against him is "politically motivated."

The bail plea further stated it appears that after gaining knowledge about the animosity of the minor girl with the applicant, false allegations were levelled against him by manipulating and persuading the girl. And it has been done to "tarnish the image" of the applicant (MLA).

He said the victim who was working in the lifestyle showroom owned by him was dismissed from services for stealing cash.
The plea states that due to imminent elections in the Legislative Assembly, political opponents, being fully aware of the support the MLA enjoys in his constituency, have in a frustrated bid to weaken the applicant, indulged in this shameful act of falsely implicating him.
The plea said that the police also carried out medical examination of the applicant to which he offered his consent.
Besides, he (MLA) even co-operated with the police in getting a psychological evaluation done. The applicant has not brought hurdles in the way of the investigation in any manner, the plea stated.

The police custody of the St Cruz lawmaker, who has been booked under POSCO Act will end on May 16.