German rape: Rodrigues says he is being targeted

     
PANAJI: Aires Rodrigues, former legal counsel of the German researcher whose daughter was allegedly raped by the son of Goa Education Minister Monserratte, has said that he was being "targeted" by a local mine owner.
     
At a press conference yesterday, after a local channel aired a story accusing him of misguiding the German researcher to sign a letter for withdrawing her complaint, Rodrigues said, "a well known mine owner, who has some personal woes to settle, is fighting a proxy-war against minister Monserratte through such news items."
     
The German woman had lodged a complaint against Rohit, the son of Atanasio Monserratte, accusing him of raping her 14-year-old daughter. Later, she withdrew her complaint stating that she was frustrated by the police probe in the case and feared that her daughter would become Scarlett II.
     
The lawyer said that the German woman signed the letter to withdraw by herself and went to the office of the Superintendent of Police to deliver it.
     
Rodrigues alleged that the channel, without taking his reaction on the issue, tried to put him in bad light at the "insistence" of the mine owner.
     
The channel through its story had raised questions on the sudden `U' turn by Rodrigues. "The channel before making any allegations should have asked for my reaction on the issue," he said.
     
Rodrigues had quit the case, claiming that there was lack of communication between him and his client (woman).
     
He also said the channel has violated the Goa Children's Act by showing face of the minor girl during the news story.