By Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, May 8: The Goa Serial killer today confessed of killing two more young women staying around Ponda town taking the toll to seven.
Ponda police stated that Mahanand Naik, 40, has today admitted of killing two more women – Anjani Gaonkar, 28 and Sunita Gaonkar, 31 – in the year 2005 and 2003 respectively.
The 40-year-old former auto rickshaw driver had confessed of killing five girls by luring them with wedding proposals and robbing gold from their dead bodies. With two more confessions this morning, the toll has reached seven.
Police stated that the accused killed both of them by taking them at Khandepar hill, an isolated spot dotting Ponda town on Goa-Belgaum highway.
Till date, Mahanand has confessed of killing, Darshan Naik (1994), Vasanti Gawade (1995), Sunita Gaonkar (2003), Anjani Gaonkar (2005), Kesar Naik (2007), Nayana Gaonkar (2008) and Yogita Naik (2009).
Police are probing the deaths of Surat Gaonkar (2006), Deepali Jotkar (2006), Nirmala Gaonkar (2006) and Gulabi Gaonkar (1994) besides other cases of disappearance.
Ponda police had arrested Mahanand in the last week of April following the complaint lodged by a woman against him for raping her over the period of three years.
She had said that Mahanand blackmailed her with the nude pictures and later raped her consistently.
The complainant, initially, was identified as a friend of Mahanand’s wife. However, Pooja Naik, his wife, has refused that the complainant was her friend.
Mahanand who was being interrogated for rape case allegedly opened up the series of his sins after he confessed of killing two young women and robbing their gold.
As the news about Mahanand’s confession along with his picture appeared on the local newspapers, the family members of two more young and missing girls filed complaint against Mahanand.
In the meantime, Mahanand confessed of killing five women forcing the police to re-examine all the cases of girls missing from and around Ponda town since 1994.
The young unsuspecting girls in the age group of 19 to 33 years were allegedly lured by Mahanand by proposing them the marriage offers. On the designated day, Mahanand used to call girls with him wearing golden ornaments and later killed them by taking them to isolated spots.