Mangaluru : The Sixth Additional District and Sessions Court on Thursday handed down life imprisonment until death without remission to Mohan Kumar alias Cyanide Mohan for raping and murdering a woman a decade ago. This is the sixth conviction against the serial killer in 20 similar cases.
Judge DT Puttarangaswamy also awarded Mohan six years rigorous imprisonment under Section 366 (abduction), seven years RI under Section 376 (rape), six months imprisonment under Section 417 (cheating), seven years RI under Section 328 (Causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence), five years RI under Section 302 (murder) and another five years RI under Section 392 (robbery). He has also been directed to pay a fine of Rs 18,000 and default of payment would lead to additional jail terms.
The 31-year-old victim, originally from Bantwal, worked as a home nurse in Puttur. Mohan first met her at the bus stand in Puttur. After learning her caste, Mohan introduced himself as Sudhakar Gowda, giving an impression that he too belonged to the same caste. He built a rapport with her and exchanged phone numbers and she fell in love with him.
In April 2009, he asked her to arrive at Puttur bus stand with her jewellery and mobile phone. Bowled over by Mohan, she resigned from her job to start a new life with him and arrived at the bus stand on April 22, 2009.
Mohan and the victim left for Mysuru where they rented a room. He had intercourse with against her will on the pretext of marrying her. The next morning, Mohan told her he had to appear for an interview and they both needed to look poor. He asked her to bundle up her jewellery and cellphone and leave them behind in the room. As they reached the bus stand in Mysuru, Mohan gave her a cyanide pill saying it was a contraceptive and asked her to go to the wash room and consume it.
She consumed the pill and died instantly. Mohan went back at the room and fled with her jewellery and phone. Meanwhile, he called up her brother and informed him that he had married her and the family needn’t search for her and they’d return in a few days.
A cleaner at the wash room saw the woman’s body and called police who rushed her to a hospital where she was declared brought dead.
On October 26, he admitted to the crime to ASP Chandragupta, who headed the team investigating a similar case involving Mohan. A case was registered against him at Vittal police station based on his voluntary statement. He was taken to police custody on December 23. Police recovered the victim’s jewellery from the outlet in Mangaluru where he had sold it. Forensic experts confirmed that handwriting on the entry form at the Mysuru hotel was that of Mohan.