Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Feb 24: Serial lady killer, infamous as Cyanide Mohan, has been convicted in the fifth case of the murder of Megina Maladi Yashoda, a resident of Bantwal, by the sixth additional and sessions court of Mangaluru. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on Saturday, February 24.

Justice D T Puttarangaswamy heard the argument for and against the quantum of punishment that needs to be given and declared that the accusation on Mohan is proved. This very court had given death sentence to Mohan in the previous cases and Judith O M Crasta, the public prosecutor has demanded maximum punishment in this case also.

The judge told that accusations under IPC section 302 (murder act), section 376 (rape), section 366 (enticing the victim), section 328 (feeding poison/cyanide), section 392 (looting ornaments), section 417 (cheating after promising to marry) and section 201 (destruction of evidence) are proved in the court on the basis of circumstantial evidence.

Mohan is accused of having raped and killed around 20 ladies from 2004 to 2009. He was sentenced to death in three of these cases in 2014. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on September 15, 2017, in the fourth case of rape and murder of 22-year-old young lady from Pattemajal of Puttur.

Now in this fifth case of the murder of Megina Maladi Yashoda (28), he is convicted. So this is the fifth case in which Cyanide Mohan is convicted.

Witnesses Cursed by the Convict

The judgement, in this case, should have been declared on Thursday, February 22. However, Cyanide Mohan appeared to be distracted on that day. He banged the table and screamed at the witnesses and cursed them in the name of 'Daivas'. The judge asked the police to take him out on that occasion. so the judgement was declared on Friday, February 23 and the quantum of punishment will be declared on Saturday, February 24.

Cyanide Mohan has given a written appeal to the court to reduce the quantum of punishment. 

Public Prosecutor Argues Tooth and Nail

Judith O M Crasta, public prosecutor, who has fought intensely, in this case, said, "I placed my argument in this case in such a manner that Cyanide Mohan gets maximum punishment. There is a chance that he might be sentenced to life. It is a challenging job to collect circumstantial evidence and investigating a case. All the witnesses have cooperated to the maximum extent."

Background of the Present Case

Mohan Kumar had introduced himself as Shashidhar Poojary with Yashoda (28) at Madanthyar bus stand and took her mobile number. He developed a relation with her, who used to roll beedies for a living, and made her believe that his affection was true. He promised to marry her and asked her to come to B C Road along with the golden ornaments on September 24, 2009.

Then he took Yashoda to Hassan and made a room at Ganesh lodge. He gave a false address in the lodge and wrote that Shashidhara Poojary, Gudde Mane, Mala, Karkal taluk. He registered the mobile number of Yashoda on the register of the lodge.

He raped Yashoda on that night in the lodge. The following day morning he told Yashoda to leave all the golden ornaments in the lodge itself as they have to go to the temple for pooja. Then he took her to the bus stand and asked her to go to the ladies toilet and take a pill (cyanide pill) to prevent pregnancy as he had physical relation with her the previous night. Yashoda died in the toilet itself as she took the cyanide pill thinking it as a birth prevention pill.

After confirming that she is dead, Mohan went to the lodge and took the gold and clothes of Yashoda. He left her dress on the bus and destructed the evidence of his crime. It was alleged that he had sold the gold in Mangaluru at various banks.

He was arrested on October 21, 2009, by Bantwal police under the leadership of the then deputy superintendent of police (DySP), Chandragupta. The then circle inspector of Beltangady, Sudarshan did the partial inquiry of the case. Later CID DySP M S Patil completed the inquiry and submitted the list of accusations to the court.

Main Witnesses

In total 39 people told their witness to court. In addition, 43 documents and 48 supplementary things were presented to the court.

Following were the main circumstantial pieces of evidence that tightened the noose on Cyanide Mohan:

- Report of the graphologist analysing the handwriting of Mohan on the register of the lodge in Hasan
- Confiscation of one mobile and four sim cards, that belonged to the deceased Yashoda, from the house of Mohan
- Call details of Yashoda's mobile, which proved that Mohan was using her mobile after the murder
- Witness by parents and younger sister of Yashoda
- Written undertaking given to Bailiff by Mohan in 2001 on misbehaviour with a woman
- Post-mortem report which says that the young lady might have died of cyanide poisoning

Public prosecutor Judith O M Crasta argued on behalf of the government.