By Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, May 29: The serial killer has confessed of killing two more young women in the state taking the toll of his victims to 14.
Ponda police said that Mahanand Naik has confessed of killing two more young women from state’s rural taluka of Sanguem.
``During the interrogation on May 28, he confessed of killing Bhagu Upaskar in the year 2007 and Nirmala Amonkar in the year 2008,” a senior police officer said this evening.
The 40-year-old killer was arrested in Ponda town, 30 kms away from here for allegedly raping his wife’s friend in the last week of July.
Thereafter during the custodial interrogation, Mahanand confessed of killing two girls and later went on with his confessions, which has reached the mark of 14.
Mahanand, a former auto rickshaw driver and a married man with one and half year old daughter, has confessed of eliminating these women for over one and half decade. Police said that he used to lure girls with the promise to get married and later kill them at isolated spot.
He used to run away with the gold ornaments and sell it to a goldsmith in Ponda town, who is also arrested by the police, this week.
Director general of police B S Bassi earlier in the day said that the state police have formed special teams which study individual confessions of Mahanand and investigate them so as to recover the vital evidences.
The tale of serial killer has prompted the state police department to investigate whether there was any systemic failure that let the killer continue with his crime for over one and half decade.
Bassi said that in many cases, the parents had lodged missing complaints and the cases were being investigated by the police.
``We have also decided that respective district superintendent of police will monthly review the missing complaints in his jurisdiction,” Bassi said.
The DGP also said that prima facie there does not seems to be administrative failure on the part of the police while the thought will be given to verify whether there was a systemic failure.
``If any police officer has failed in his duty, he would be punished and we will adopt corrective measures. But at this juncture, the focus is on investigating the confessions,” he said.