CANACONA
Addressing media persons at Canacona police station, Quepem DySP & SDPO Sammy Tavares informed that a medical report had confirmed the rape of the woman and murder by asphyxia.
“The death was due to asphyxia as a result of compression of neck, besides cranio-cerebral damage. There were injuries to her face and head. The victim also had injuries to her private region, suggesting forced vaginal penetration,” said Tavares, while referring to the autopsy report.
He informed that the autopsy was performed by a panel of doctors consisting of Dr Madhu Ghodkirekar (Chairman) and Dr Sunil Chinbolkar (asst lecturer-OMC department) of GMC hospital at Bambolim.
“Circumstantial evidence suggests that McLaughlin had accompanied the accused, Viket Bhagat, for several rounds of drinks at a shack in Ourem-Palolem. When she was intoxicated, the accused took the victim on his two-wheeler to an isolated spot and made sexual advances at her.”
“When McLaughlin tried to ward off his sexual advances, the accused struck her with a beer bottle, causing her head and face injuries. When she fell semi-unconscious, the accused forcibly undressed her and had sexual intercourse,” said DySP Tavares. “The accused then murdered McLaughlin by strangulating her,” the police official
added.
DySP Tavares added that a medical examination on Bhagat confirmed six different fresh injuries and aberrations on his body, important being injuries to his private parts.
“Following the autopsy report, the accused has been charged with Sections 376 (rape), 392 (robbery), 394 (causing hurt) and 201 (destroying evidence), in addition to the 302 (murder),” informed DySP Tavares.
He informed that McLaughlin had been on the lookout for a sea-facing room and had even changed her overnight clothing in the toilet at one restaurant in Colomb, when she along with Bhagat were in the restaurant. “She was later accompanied by Bhagat and his friends at a restaurant in Ourem-Palolem. Police obtained CCTV footage of that restaurant, showing Bhagat and some of his accomplices in the company of McLaughlin.
Meanwhile, the police on Thursday recovered a notepad belonging to McLaughlin from the possession of Bhagat and are on the lookout for her passport and her mobile phone.
In a related development, Canacona Police on Thursday released three accomplices of Bhagat, who were some of the suspects detained by police after they were reportedly seen in the company of Bhagat at Palolem on Monday night. “Bhagat had tried to mislead police by naming a few of his accomplices, but interrogations revealed that the suspects had no links to the assault, rape and murder of McLaughlin, except for their presence for a drinking session at some point in time,” a police source said.
