NT NETWORK
MAPUSA
Mapusa additional sessions court judge Vijaya Pol Monday sentenced accused Chandrakant Talwar, resident of Panaji, and Cyron Rodrigues, resident of Merces, to life imprisonment in Sharmila Mandrekar murder case, while the duo has been acquitted in another murder case of a fisherwoman.
It may be recalled that in 2009, four murders were reported in Goa wherein women were kidnapped and murdered by the accused after committing theft of gold ornaments. Police had arrested Chandrakant, Cyron, Grishmi, wife of Chandrakant, and a minor for their involvement in the crimes.
While Grishmi alias Sonia Talwar has been acquitted in two murder cases, matter regarding the minor is being heard in the Children’s Court in one of the cases.
While pronouncing the order on Monday, the judge set off the period when the accused were in custody. Apart from sentencing the duo for murder, the court also ordered punishment under sections related to criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, voluntarily hurting while committing robbery and for causing disappearance of evidence of offence.
Sharmila Mandrekar, aged 25 and a resident of Bicholim, was kidnapped by the duo in 2009 on the pretext of giving her a lift to her workplace. The accused made her sit in a Maruti Zen car and took her to an isolated place at Kharrem Socorro near government primary school. Later, the accused allegedly raped the victim and told her that she would be dropped home. However, the accused strangulated her, removed her gold chain and rings and dumped her behind the school. As the victim was still alive, the accused smashed her head using a huge stone and killed her. A case was later registered by Mapusa police under Sections 365, 302, 376, 394, 201 read with 120-B of Indian Penal Code.
While Chandrakant and Cyron have been sentenced to life imprisonment under Section 302 for murder with a fine of Rs 10,000 and in default, another three years rigorous imprisonment, the court has ordered 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for the duo with a fine of Rs 5,000 and in default, another two years rigorous imprisonment under Section 120(B), ten years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 5,000 and in default another two years rigorous imprisonment under Section 365 and seven years of imprisonment with a fine of Rs 5,000 and another two years of rigorous imprisonment in default under Section 201 of IPC.
In another case, a fisherwoman Conciacao D’Souza was murdered on October 11, 2009, by the alleged accused Chandrakant, Cyron, Grishmi and the minor girl after they kidnapped the fisherwoman from Verna. The alleged accused killed the victim by smothering her and dumped her body at Voilembhat Zorikode in Merces after committing theft of her gold ornaments worth Rs 45,000. The accused had put her body in a plastic bag and later set it on fire. All the accused were booked under Sections 364, 302, 392, 201 of IPC.
After hearing the matter on Monday, the judge acquitted all the accused in this case.
Meanwhile, order in the third murder case reported in 2009 will be pronounced by the court on September 16. Victim Malti Yadav, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was allegedly kidnapped and later murdered by the alleged accused. Her body too was set on fire at Corjuem.
Another case of murder of a minor girl is pending before the Children’s Court in Panaji.
The series of murder cases was handled by police inspectors Sunita Sawant, Rupesh Shetgaonkar, Ninad Deulkar, Rajan Nigde and Praveen Kumar Vast under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Mangaldas Dessai.
Advocate Prashant Parab and Harshal Ghate appeared for Chandrakant Talwar and Cyron Rodrigues while advocate Gopal Kanekar appeared for Grishmi. Advocates Francis Noronha and Sunita Nagvekar appeared for the State.