Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 25: Serial killer Mohan Kumar, nicknamed Cyanide Mohan because of his use of committing every murder by using cyanide, has been proved guilty in his 20th and the only remaining case. The court has awarded him life term sentence for this crime.

In this case, Mohan had been accused of enticing a 25-year-old woman from Kuntaru, Kasargod, to accompany him by doling out fake promise of marriage and taking her to Bengaluru. In Bengaluru, he stayed in a lodge with the lady, raped her, and killed her the next morning by giving her cyanide tablet by making her believe that it was a contraception medicine. The sixth additional district and sessions court found Mohan guilty of the charges on June 20 and judge of the court, Sayeedunnisa, pronounced the quantum of sentence on June 24.

With this case, the nine-year-long trial of Mohan in 20 cases has come to an end. It is suspected that Mohan was also involved with some other murders but they were not pursued either because the families did not show interest or for lack of enough evidence.

The judge awarded life sentence and Rs 25,000 fine for the murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, ten years imprisonment and Rs 5,000 fine for abduction. seven year sentence with Rs 5,000 fine for rape, ten years imprisonment and Rs 5,000 fine for feeding poison, five years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 5,000 fine for robbing of jewellery, and some more fines and imprisonments for crimes including destruction of evidence and cheating after promising marriage.

The judge arrived at the conclusion after examining 46 witnesses, 89 documentary evidence and 31 assets. Out of the gold ornaments taken away by Mohan, a pendant was recovered from the residence of Mohan's second wife. It has been ordered to be given to the victim's mother at Kuntaru by the court.

The court heavily relied on the evidence given by a lady who somehow survived after getting ensnared in the web of love spread by Mohan, another lady who did not heed to his advice to accompany him, and also of a priest of a temple in Bantwal, when pronouncing the judgement.

The prosecution was represented by public prosecutor, Judith O M Crasta, and later by Jayaram Shetty. With this, Mohan has got death sentence in five cases, life terms in ten cases, while he has been acquitted in five other cases.