MARGAO/CANACONA: Irish national Daniel Mclaughlin, 28 was raped and later murdered by strangulation, confirming this the post mortem report has said. Police suspicion has come true with the autopsy that was conducted at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, on Thursday. Canacona Police who had arrested the accused Vikas Bhagat on Wednesday slapped additional charges of rape, destruction of evidence and causing hurt under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on him. A local court remanded in seven days police custody. Police had earlier said that crime was committed by one person and ruled out gangrape. Police arrested four of Bhagat’s friends under Section 41 of IPC and later released. Police said, “Daniel McLaughlin resisted Bhagat’s attempts to rape her and has found injury marks in his groin area and thighs,” a Police source from Goa said. But he overpowered her, and in order to evade the law, he killed her, the source said. In an attempt to prevent the body from being identified, he disfigured the face by stabbing it with broken beer bottles, shards of which were found at the place from where the body was recovered, police source said. In the postmortem report six injuries marks have been found on her head and face in the postmortem report. A two-member panel of doctors headed by Dr Madhu Ghodkirekar conducted the post mortem. Further investigations into the case are under way. Bhagat is a history-sheeter involved in various offences involving foreigners, Police say. CCTV footage obtained by Police confirm Bhagat was last seen with McLaughlin at a shack. Bhagat had first met McLaughlin during her visit to Goa last year, Police say. ]]>
