Bail granted to MLA Atanasio Monserrate in minor girl rape case

Panaji: The Goa Children’s court, Panaji, on Wednesday granted conditional bail to St Cruz MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate in the minor girl rape case.

Additional sessions judge who is holding the charge of children’ court Pramod Kamat allowed the bail application with conditions.
Monserrate was in police custody for the last 12 days.

Argument on bail application was concluded on Monday and the order was reserved.
On May 5, Babush was arrested by the women’s police cell of Goa police in the case of alleged rape of a minor girl hours after he surrendered before the crime branch.
The survivor’s statement was recorded under Section 164 CrPC before JMFC, Panaji.
In her statement, the minor survivor stated that the MLA allegedly purchased her for Rs 50 lakh from her mother, and raped her. All she remembers, she said, is watching television and the next thing she knew was waking up naked in a bed with blood stained sheets and the MLA sitting on the sofa next to the bed wearing nothing but shorts.