Serial killer 'cyanide' Mohan convicted in 16th murder case
Mangaluru, Sep 22: "Cyanide" Mohan, a serial killer who has murdered several women using the deadly chemical after befriending and raping them, has been convicted of killing another woman a music teacher in Karnataka, taking the total number of his convictions to 16.
Mohan, who has previously been convicted of killing women in public toilets by giving them cyanide capsules, murdered the 33-year-old woman after raping her at a lodge in Bengaluru in May 2007, the prosecution told the Mangaluru district and sessions court.
The woman hailed from Uppala in Kasaragod district of Kerala.
The serial killer had introduced himself to her as Sudhakar Acharya, an employee of the forest department. He gave her a poisonous capsule, telling her it was a contraceptive.
He has used the same modus operandi in all the 20 cases against him, the prosecution submitted to the court.
Judge Sayeedunnisa pronounced Mohan guilty on Friday under various sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to murder, robbery and punishment for cheating and others, after examining 38 witnesses and 49 exhibits.
The quantum of punishment would be pronounced on September 25.
This was the 16th case in which Mohan has been convicted.
He had been accused of killing a number of women between 2003 and 2009 and had been sentenced to death in three cases and to life imprisonment in others.
In 2017, the Karnataka High Court commuted the capital punishment awarded in one of the cases to life imprisonment till death.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
