Post-mortem report confirmes McLaughlin was raped before being murdered

CANACONA: Though the

Canacona police

were prompt in arresting

Vikat Bhagat

, 23, a local goon, on charges of rape and murder of Irish national Danielle McLaughlin, they are yet to tie all loose ends. Locals and the expat community believe the case is not an open and shut one as the police claim, and that there is more than what meets the eye.

The post-mortem report has confirmed that McLaughlin was raped before being murdered, but whether it was a gang rape or not can be only proven conclusively by a DNA test, said a forensic expert. DNA and viscera examination reports are awaited.

President of the NGO Goankar,

Jack Fernandes

, who was in the forefront in demanding action against Bhagat’s alleged excesses, said, “We have our reasons to believe that Bhagat was not alone when he murdered the Irish woman.”

“A year ago we had even met SP South demanding action against Bhagat, but nothing happened,” he added.

McLaughlin’s naked body was found at an isolated spot at Devbag, Canacona last Tuesday morning. Police have a confession from the accused in which he has mentioned his involvement in the crime, plus a CCTV footage allegedly showing Bhagat following McLaughlin the night before the crime.

DySP

Sammy Tavares

said investigation in the case is on and that the location of the crime was the same as where the body was found.

McLaughlin’s clothes were retrieved from a place close to Bhagat’s house at Char Rasta, Canacona. Police found a plastic bag along with a broken piece of a beer bottle, allegedly used by Bhagat to disfigure the victim’s face in order to destroy identity.

The forensic expert said that in such cases clothes are found at the crime site as the accused in his haste to get away either forgets about the victim’s clothes or doesn’t understand its relevance in the investigation.

Since the clothes were retrieved from a place close to the accused’s house, the expert opined that the police ought to have combed the whole area, including the accused’s house. “Since McLaughlin’s clothes were not found near her body, the possibility of the accused having one or more accomplices, even if they did not sexually assault her, can’t be ruled out,” he said.

The police will seek explanation from Bhagat as to how he came to be in possession of a beer bottle at the isolated spot, and how he came to be in possession of a plastic bag to put the victim’s clothes in.

CCTV footages obtained by the police reveal that Bhagat and three of his friends were seen along with the McLaughlin at the shack, based on which the police arrested Bhagat.

Police will seek the accused’s explanation as to how he came to be in possession of a beer bottle at the isolated spot, and a plastic bag to put the victim’s clothes in.