SERIAL KILLER MAHANAND NAIK CONVICTED IN RAPE CASE

PONDA: Serial killer from Ponda, Mahanand Naik at last is convicted in the Shiroda rape case of 2009. Mahanand who was acquitted in three murder cases has at last been convicted in at least one case.

Mahanand who was arrested for raping his wife’s friend for three years, was convicted by the Sessions court Judge Nutan Sardessai, for the rape of his wife’s friend and then blackmailing her into submission. The sentence has not been pronounced and has been reserved for 5th October.

This was the case that led to the disclosure of the serial killings by Mahanand with a dupatta. Mahanand defended himself saying that he was framed falsely the Ponda police.

According to the police chargesheet filed in July 2009, Naik had raped the woman in November 2005. Subsequently, he had forcible sexual intercourse with her on several occasions by blackmailing her with some semi-nude photographs of hers in his possession. In April 2009, the victim had lodged a complaint with Ponda police about the trauma she was undergoing for nearly four years. During the hearing, public prosecutor Milena Gomes Pinto argued that the prosecution had proved the rape against the accused on the basis of the testimony of the victim and witnesses including other relevant evidence.

Mahanand a rickshaw driver by profession from Shiroda is facing altogether 14 murder cases. Mahanand, a married man, used to lure the women with a promise to marry them and later kill them with their dupatta, mostly after having sex with them on isolated places.

(Goa 365 VideoClip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiYMKxv1H_0&feature=player_embedded )