Panaji: Two days after the four-year-old daughter of a balloon seller was raped in Mapusa on Diwali, police had made no arrests until late Tuesday night. Investigators said a key obstacle in identifying the suspect was the absence of a CCTV surveillance network.Superintendent of police Rahul Gupta, meanwhile, said the survivor’s condition was stable.With the assault reported to have taken place in an abandoned building near the busy Mapusa market area, police were seen urgently searching for any usable CCTV footage from nearby shops. Many establishments either did not have cameras installed or had systems that were not functioning.Deputy superintendent of police Ashish Shirodkar, accompanied by other senior officers, visited stores in Mapusa until late Tuesday night, seeking footage. He confirmed that CCTV coverage around the crime scene was lacking and said shop owners would now be urged to install cameras. “We are scanning the area for anti-social elements. We will ask the market association to get CCTVs installed,” Shirodkar said.Shirodkar also maintained that the investigation was progressing. “We are on the right track; it is a matter of patience. The case is a sensitive one. We need some time. It is not rocket science. We are on the right track,” he said.According to eyewitnesses, the toddler was led into the abandoned building at around 8pm on Diwali. Bystanders assumed the person with her was known to her. The girl emerged from the building bleeding about an hour and a half later. The incident has triggered outrage among Mapusa residents, who are questioning law and order and safety in the bustling town.The child was initially taken to the North Goa district hospital and later shifted to the GMC for treatment. Police said she was brutally sexually assaulted.
