Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 18: In respect of suspected serial killer, Cyanide Mohan, Puttur police have gone on appeal seeking to increase the sentence awarded to him from life term imprisonment to death sentence in connection with the rape and murder of a lady from Puttur.

After hearing arguments and counter arguments over the validity of the appeal filed by the Puttur police, the division bench of the state high court (HC), comprising Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice John Michael Cunha, admitted the appeal for hearing. It also asked the subordinate court to provide all the documents relating to the case to the high court. Before adjourning the hearing, it asked copies of these documents to be provided to Cyanide Mohan too.

Before that, the police, in tune with the previous order of the HC, had brought Mohan Kumar from Hindalga prison in Belagavi and produced him in front of the division bench. Mohan had already told the court in writing, saying that he would argue his own case. In the earlier three murder cases of women too he had presented arguments on his own.

Mohan Kumar has been facing rape and murder charges in respect of a number of ladies. In the case of murder of Sunanda at Mysuru in 2008, the HC has confirmed his death sentence. In the case of Anita murder case from Bantwal, it has converted his death sentence into life term. The current case involves the murder of a woman from Puttur in which the sixth additional district and sessions court has awarded life term imprisonment, which the police have requested to upgrade to death sentence.