Mangaluru: The sixth additional district and sessions court on Friday convicted Mohan, 55, aka Cyanide Mohan, for rape, robbery and murder of a 28-year-old girl from Maladi in Bantwal. This is the fifth conviction in 20 cases against him.

Mohan, a teacher, allegedly poisoned about 20 young women to death using cyanide between 2003 and 2009 was convicted in four cases and was awarded the death sentence in 2013.

In the fifth case, which took place in September, 2009, Mohan was found guilty and the quantum of punishment will be announced on February 24. He was convicted under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder), 366 (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage), 376 (rape), 417 (cheating), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 392 (robbery) and 201 (destruction of evidence).

According to the chargesheet filed in 2010, Mohan had befriended an unmarried girl from Maladi who rolled beedis for a livelihood. Mohan, during the first meeting, introduced himself as Shashidhar Poojary and said he belonged to the same caste as her (Billava).

They had met at the bus stand in Bantwal and he promised to marry her and they exchanged phone numbers. After a few days, on September 23, 2009, Mohan told her he had to go for a puja in Hassan and she should go with him. Mohan told her to wear as much jewellery as possible for the auspicious occasion.

Mohan, on reaching Hassan, booked a room in a lodge. That night, Mohan had sex with her. The next morning, he asked her to get ready for the puja and told her to leave all the valuables in the room as it was not necessary.

After they reached Hassan KSRTC bus stand, Mohan told her that since they had a physical relationship, she could become pregnant and should take precautions. He convinced her that he had a medicine for it and needed to take it in the washroom.

He handed over her cyanide. The victim, who believed it was a contraceptive pill, went into the ladies washroom and took it and died immediately.

Mohan rushed back to the hotel room, collected all the valuables, including her cellphone, and checked out of the lodge. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where a doctor pronounced dead on arrival.

Police registered an unnatural death case and disposed off the body as per rules since it was not identified. On reaching Mangaluru, Mohan sold the valuables at a jewellery shop on KS Rao Road.

On October 21, 2009, police arrested Mohan for the murder of a girl from Bantwal and police headed by ASP Chandragupta collected evidence. Judith O M Crasta, Special Public Prosecutor, said 39 witnesses were examined, including a victim who survived.

Also, 43 documents and 48 material objects were produced. She added that apart from it, handwriting experts verified his handwriting in the lodge register and other forensic evidence was produced.

The Sixth Additional District and Sessions Judge D T Puttarangaswamy upheld Crasta’s argument and convicted Mohan.