Mangaluru : The 6th Additional District and Sessions Judge D.T. Puttarangaswamy on Wednesday sentenced Mohan Kumar alias ‘Cyanide’ Mohan to life in two cases of murder of women by administering cyanide. So far, he has been convicted in nine of the 20 cases booked against him.

The conviction on Wednesday relates to the death of 34-year-old beedi worker from Bantwal on January 23, 2009 at the KSRTC bus stand in Madikeri and that of 32-year-old woman from Peraje in Madikeri taluk at the KSRTC bus stand in Mysuru on March 10, 2009.

According to the chargesheet, Mohan introduced himself to the two women as Anand. After promising to marry her, he took the 34-year-old woman to a lodge in Madikeri where she was raped on January 23, 2009. He then took her to the KSRTC bus stand in Madikeri where he made her consume cyanide by making her believe it as a pill to prevent pregnancy.

Mohan took 32-year-old woman to lodge in Mysuru and raped her on March 10, 2009. She was found dead in the washroom of the KSRTC bus stand in Mysuru after consuming cyanide given by Mohan. Mohan revealed about deaths of these two and 17 other women following his arrest in connection with the murder of a woman on October 21, 2009. The Criminal Investigation Department did the investigation in all the 20 cases.

Prosector Judith O.M. Crasta examined 39 witnesses in relation to the Bantwal woman’s murder while 44 witnesses were examined in connection with the murder of woman from Madikeri. Among the material objects produced were the SIM card of the mobile phone of the woman from Madikeri that was among the articles that Mohan had taken away following her death. He used this SIM card to call five other women, who were also murdered.

In both cases, the judge sentenced Mohan to life without any remission for the offence, under Section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code. He was also sentenced for offences under Sections 392 (robbery), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 376 (rape), 328 (administering stupefying drugs) and 417 (cheating) of IPC. The judge imposed ₹3,000 as fine for each of five offences.

The judge directed the District Legal Services Authority to take steps to award compensation to the family members of the two victims.