MARGAO
Accused Pratima Naik, who was convicted in the Vasco double murder case earlier this week, on Wednesday was sentenced to life imprisonment by the South Goa Sessions Court.
While pronouncing the order, Sessions Judge Desmond D’Costa opined that awarding the sentence of life imprisonment and fine of `25,000 for the offence of murder will serve the ends of justice. If the fine amount is deposited by the accused, it should be paid as compensation to Pravin and Sidharth Naik, the two sons of deceased Usha, the judge ordered.
While holding Pratima guilty of the charges, Judge D’Costa has observed that the prosecution led by public prosecutor Sarojini Sardesai has proved that the death of Usha Naik and Neha Naik were homicidal deaths due to strangulation.
A glance at the judgement revealed that the judge has held that the witness no 1, Abhijit Korgaonkar, has been corroborated in all material aspects by the other evidence on record and his deposition before the court as an approver is believable and corroborated by the other materials on record.
Touching on the claim made by the defence that she was a victim in the same case, the judge observed that it has been proved that the accused no 1, probably caused the wound on her stomach region to mislead the investigating machinery and to suggest the involvement of some outsiders in
the incident.
On this point, the defence had advanced the argument that the accused herself was the victim of the crime and she had been assaulted on her head. On the other hand, the prosecution had maintained that the injury on the accused no 1 was a self-inflicted injury as it relied on the attachment panchanama of the gown of the accused No 1 as well as the recovery panchanama of the knife at the instance of the
accused no 1.
Holding that the accused has committed the offence of culpable homicide amounting to murder, the judge further observed that the evidence on record brings out that the accused No 1 committed the theft of gold ornaments from the flat no 10 by putting them in a plastic packet and handing it over to Abhijit Korgaonkar, who was later made state approver in the case.
“She has dishonestly taken the gold ornaments out of the flat and out of the possession of Usha Naik and Neha Naik without their consent,” the Judge observed, adding that the accused is held guilty of the offence of theft of gold ornaments from the
dwelling house.
