Danielle’s body to be flown to Ireland today
the goan I network
CANACONA
On expiry of the seven-day police remand on Monday, Canacona Police produced Bhagat before JMFC, Canacona and pleaded for seven more days in police custody.
“JMFC granted six days additional police remand until Monday,” informed Canacona PI Philomeno Costa.
PI Costa further informed that after a day’s delay, all required formalities have been completed and McLaughlin’s body will be flown to Ireland on Wednesday.
According to sources, even though the police recovered the victim’s clothes and an e-book from the links provided by the accused, her passport is missing.
Canacona Police sources further informed that a team of Canacona Police led by a PSI will visit Arambol, where the victim was reportedly staying after she came down to Goa in the third week of February. The team will try to track her stay in North Goa, before she proceeded to Canacona, a day before she was raped and murdered near Agonda beach.
In a related development, lawyer Vikram Varma suspected the possibility of more people being involved in
the rape and murder of McLaughlin.
Speaking to the media, Varma claimed that McLaughlin was 5.8 feet in height, fairly strong and was taller than the accused, indicating the possibility that she could have been overpowered by more than one person.
Refusing to comment on similar claims, PI Costa said investigations are being carried out from all angles.
Police Inspector Costa, however, refused to speak on the ongoing investigations being conducted in the case, but insisted that all statements are being verified and every angle explored to build up a strong charge-sheet against the accused Viket Bhagat.
Info could have averted crime: PI Costa
CANACONA: The importance of quickly intimating police about suspicious persons came to the fore, when Canacona PI Philomeno Costa said people had seen McLaughlin and a known trouble maker on the night of the murder, but had not thought it pertinent to alert the police.
“People have been coming forward to state that they had seen the accused along with McLaughlin at Palolem on Monday night and both were seen in an intoxicated state.”
“It is regrettable that these people did not inform the police that night itself that a known troublemaker was in the company of a foreign woman,” said PI Costa.
“In the past, people had shared such information with the police, especially when troublemakers were in bars and restaurants. In those instances, police had intervened to avert any possible trouble or danger.”
“Had they shared information about McLaughlin being in the company of a history sheeter on Monday night, we could have kept a tab on his movements and this could well have helped us in averting the heinous crime,” PI Costa added.
