PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday issued notices to murder convicts Chandrakant Talwar and Cyron Fernandes in connection with an appeal filed by the State government seeking to enhance their life sentences to death penalty. The Court has also issued a notice to Chandrakant’s wife Girishma, who was acquitted of the offence. All notices are returnable by February 3, which is when the appeal will be heard.
The State in October 2024 appealed against the Children’s Court’s order acquitting Girishma in the 2009 murder of a minor girl and also sought to enhance the punishment of the two life convicts.
The trio was among four arrested in 2009 for allegedly murdering four women including a minor over three days. In October 2009, the body of a minor girl was found at the Verna plateau. Chandrakant and Cyron were subsequently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
In August 2016, the District and Sessions Judge sentenced the two men to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of Sharmila Mandrekar, whose decomposed body was found in Succoro village. However, they were acquitted in another case involving the half-burnt body of fisherwoman Concessao D’Souza, found near Merces, due to insufficient evidence. Girishma was acquitted in both cases.
The men were also charged with the murder of another Malati Yadav, whose body was found at Khorjuvem village, and was also convicted.
According to the police chargesheet, the gang abducted women and stole their jewellery before killing them. In the murders of Mandrekar and the minor girl, Talwar also allegedly raped the victims.
