A Goa court sentenced a localite to rigourous life imprisonment for the rape and murder of an Irish-British woman in 2017. The court also imposed a cumulative fine of Rs 35,000 on the convict.
The court which held Vikat Bhagat, a 31-year-old local resident as a convict on Friday pronounced the verdict on Monday. Pronouncing the order, district and sessions judge Kshama Joshi sentenced Bhagat to rigorous life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 for the rape and murder. The court also imposed a penalty of Rs 10,000 for the destruction of evidence.
Danielle McLaughin, an Irish-British national hailing from Donegal in Northwest Ireland visited Goa in 2017. Bhagat, a local resident befriended her during her tour and spent an evening with McLaughin, Goa police said. In the charge-sheet, police accused Bhagat of attacking McLaughin brutally and raping her.
According to police, McLaughin was struck with a stone, which resulted in her death. Her body was found lying in a pool of blood, without clothes, with injuries to the head and face, PTI reported quoting police.
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Bhagat would have to concurrently serve two years for destroying evidence in the case. In a statement issued to the family, McLaughin’s family said, “We, as Danielle's family and friends, are so thankful to everyone involved in our fight for justice, they have treated her like their daughter and have tirelessly fought for her.”
Police Inspector Philomena Costa told PTI that meticulous probe resulted in the conviction and he was happy with the verdict.
