Goa cops file chargesheet in Irish girl's rape and murder case

PANAJI: Goa police on Friday filed a chargesheet against 23-year-old Vikas Bhagat before the judicial magistrate first class (JMFC)

Canacona

in the case of rape and murder of Irish national Danielle

McLaughlin

.

Speaking to TOI, Canacona PI Rajendra Prabhudesai said that Bhagat has been charged under section 302 (murder), 376 (rape), 394 (robbery) and 201 (destruction of evidence) of IPC.

The chargesheet runs into 374 pages and the police examined 68 witnesses in the case. Police have also shown the recovery of victim's clothes and articles.

Canacona police recovered the body of the 28-year old Irish national, who was found murdered at an isolated spot at Adnem, Devbag, Canacona on March 14, 2017.

The victim had arrived in Canacona on March 12 and stayed at a friend's place in Agonda. On March 13, she proceeded to Palolem at around1 pm. Thereafter she was seen with the accused at a shack in Overem, Palolem, till around 9.30 pm, as revealed in the CCTV footage obtained by the Canacona police.

Police said McLaughlin is originally from Buncrana, Co Donegal, Ireland. She spent her childhood in Buncrana, attending the local Scoil Mhuire secondary school, and later studied at a university in Liverpool. She left

Ireland

in February to go "backpacking around the world".