Report: Sanjay Borkar in Ponda
Daijiworld Media - Madgao (SP)

Margao, May 14: The confession made about the killing of two more girls on Tuesday May 12, by the former rickshaw driver and now termed as a serial killer, Mahanand Naik (40), resident of Tarvale-Shiroda, has sent shock waves across the state, as the toll has now reached nine, and has left rickshaw drivers worrying about the likely loss of business they will suffer, as they feel, the general public will loose faith in them because of Naik's deeds.

Mahanand, who used to befriend young girls and then, on the pretext of introducing them to his parents for marriage talks and urged them to wear gold ornaments. He then allegedly killed them mercilessly, using the veil of their churidar to strangulate them, after  taking them to an  isolated place and robbing  them of the valuables. After indulging in this heinous act, he used to join the rickshaw stand, acting as if nothing had occurred. He attended to his routine and then left for home in the evening, as usual.

Goans are shocked to know his modus-operandi, which was in place, since 1994.

When this correspondent spoke to the Ponda Rickshaw Goods Association members, they, on condition of  anonymity, revealed  that he (Mahanand) had joined their rickshaw stand in the year 1994,  the same year in which the Association was formed. He was so prudent and soft spoken that in spite of being a junior on the rickshaw stand, he got the place in the Association as a member.

"We are worried about our business now. Mahanand has slurred our image, as he used to take his victims in his rickshaw and then kill them. People may grow suspicious about the character and reliability of the other rickshaw drivers and thus we may loose business," one of the members said.

Many people have been approaching us and asking the drivers about Mahanand, since he was arrested, he added.

According to the residents of the village from which Mahanand hails, he (Mahanand) initially used to rob the LPG cylinders from houses and then sell it for big amounts, as it was very hard to get LPG at that time. He had also allegedly robbed a LPG cylinder from one of his friend's house and was then was caught by the locals, they revealed.