Mangalore: Serial Killer Cyanide Mohan Appears Before Fast Track Court
Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network—Mangalore (PS/CN)
Mangalore, Nov 21: The hearing of teacher-turned-serial killer Cyanide Mohan Kumar began in the fast track court on Monday November 21.
The whole state was shocked by the serial murders of women and Bantwal police arrested Mohan on October 21, 2009.
It may be recalled that police investigation into the missing case of Anitha led them to 19 other killings. Of these, 13 were in DK district and 7 registered in places like Hassan, Madikeri, Mysore, and Bangalore. The cases were then handed over to the CID for further investigation. The CID, after completing its investigation, submitted the charges in Mangalore district court on April 20, 2011.
Though a majority of the victims are from DK district, since there are complaints that Mohan took several women to Hassan, Madikeri, Mysore, and Bangalore before killing them by giving them cyanide, the cases have been taken up in the respective districts. If these cases are to be taken up in the Mangalore court, then permission must be availed from the high court and for this CID will have to submit their application before the judiciary.
On Monday November 21, the case of Anitha’s murder (resident of Parimar, Bantwal taluk), on the basis of the charge sheet filed by the police, was taken up in the fast track court. Judge Ningana Gowda Jantli adjudicated. Three witnesses were interrogated in the morning session.
The first witness was Madhava, Anitha’s brother, who told the judge that on June 17, 2009, Anitha who went to BC Road to buy medicine for her tooth ache went missing. After searching in vain, on June 20, 2009, he filed a complaint. When Mohan was arrested in Hassan in October 2009, Anitha's clothes and jewels were seized from Mohan, and Madhav identified these.
The second witness Sumithra told the judge that she is a tailor in BC Road and six years ago Mohan identified himself as Ananda Poojary and proposed to her. She rejected him as she was already married. On June 17, 2009 she saw Mohan (at the time known to her as Anand Poojary) and Anitha getting into a KSTRC bus to go to Hassan.
Third witness Eshwar Bhat, a priest in Durga Parameshwari temple BC Road, said that on June 19, 2009, Mohan came to the temple when he was performing the afternoon puja, and told the priest that he had killed a woman and wanted to seek forgiveness from God. The priest told the judge that he did not agree to this and he offered ‘Kumkumarchan Seve’.
Mohan, defending himself as he did not appoint a lawyer, said that Eshwar Bhat was not the priest of the temple during that time.
In the afternoon, three other witnesses were heard by the judge.
Mohan wore a blue shirt and looked very civilized without any expression of guilt. Initially, he appeared to shiver when arguing and requested some drinking water which was provided to him. Whenever irrelevant arguments were made by Mohan, the judge told him to stick to the investigation. On October 20, 2010, Mohan had informed the court that he would defend himself. He had also borrowed a few law books to familiarize himself with the process.
The proceedings related to Anita’s case will go on for six consecutive days till Saturday November 26. Lilavathi’s (of Venur) murder case will begin on Monday November 28 and go on till Friday December 2, and Sumana’s (of Sullia) murder case will begin on Saturday December 3 and go on till Friday December 9.
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