Cyanide Mohan proven guilty of Paivalike lady’s murder

Agencies

Mangaluru, 13 Jul: Serial rapist ‘Cyanide Mohan’ was declared guilty of murdering a woman from Manjeswar by sixth additional district and sessions judge on Friday.

 

The quantum of punishment will be announced by the judge Sayeedunnisa on July 18.

 

Mohan had befriended the 26-year-old victim, who was from Paivalike village near Manjeshwar. Introducing himself as Sudhakar, employed in an insurance firm, he had invited her for marriage talks. The victim and her relative had met Mohan in Mangaluru on April 20, 2006. The relative had last seen the victim board a bus with Mohan.

 

As according to the modus operandi, Mohan had taken his victim to a lodging in Madikeri and, after raping her, had forced her to consume cyanide tablets the following morning. He had returned to Mangaluru the same morning and pledged her gold ornaments.

 

The murder came to light only after Mohan’s arrest on October 21, 2009. Based on his confession, Manjeshwar police had taken custody of Mohan to conduct spot Mahajar.

 

The victim’s relative, who had identified Mohan as Sudhakar, had tried to assault him. As many as 41 witnesses were paraded in court and 50 documents submitted. During trial, the charges of kidnap and rape were dropped due to lack of evidence.

 

Mohan, who has been defending himself without appointing an advocate, turned down the new judge’s request to appoint an advocate to defend him during trial. When the judge declared him guilty of murdering the woman from Manjeshwar, Mohan pleaded innocence via the video conferencing facility from Hindalga Central Prison in Belagavi.