Calangute: Former Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes said on Thursday that police must crack down on organised criminal gangs allegedly bringing children to Goa and forcing them to sell items such as balloons and pens on the streets, or to beg.Referring to recent incidents involving the rape of minors, Fernandes said children are frequently seen at street corners in the Candolim-Calangute belt approaching passers-by to sell small items. “These children should not be on the road,” he said, adding that the police and NGOs should ensure they are placed in protective homes. Allowing them to roam freely, he warned, leaves them vulnerable to predators. “The police have failed totally,” he said.Fernandes also said he often sees beggars carrying young children while claiming to be their parents, with no apparent way to verify the relationship. “If you look around, you’ll see someone on a wheelchair going around with a child, saying they’re the father or mother,” he said.He alleged that some of these “so-called parents” may be willing to sell children for sex, and questioned whether they are the children’s real guardians. “Who knows if they’re actually the parents? They might have robbed the children from somewhere,” he said, alleging that criminal gangs are operating in the area.“What are the police doing?” Fernandes asked, adding that turning a blind eye only emboldens criminals. “When the police turn a blind eye to this, they encouraging all these criminals,” he said.
