The Goa police on Thursday pressed charges of rape against the accused in the murder of 28-year-old Irish woman Danielle McLaughlin in Canacona in south Goa. A post-mortem conducted at the State-owned Goa Medical College Hospital near here confirmed that the victim was raped.
A brutal murder
Umesh Gaonkar, Superintendent of Police incharge of the Crime Branch, told The Hindu on Thursday evening that the post-mortem report had confirmed cranio cerebral damage and constriction of neck as the reasons for death. “Rape was also confirmed,” Mr. Gaonkar said.
Vikat Bhagat, a local history-sheeter and prime suspect in the case, was arrested by Goa police on Tuesday night. Bhagat has been remanded in police custody for seven days till March 21.
The naked body of McLaughlin was found in a field around 150 metres from the main road at Devbag in Canacona on Tuesday morning.
