Team Herald
MARGAO: Charges have been framed against Pratima Naik and her accomplice Abhijit Korgaonkar in the Vasco double-murder case. The accused will face trial under sections 328, 380, 302 read with 34 of IPC. The charges were framed by the Principal District and Sessions Judge Nutan Sardessai on Friday.
Abhijit has become the approver in the case. Prior to framing the charges, the prosecution presented a brief chronology of the events of January 31, 2015. According to the prosecution, the accused Pratima allegedly drugged her mother-in-law Usha Naik and sister-in-law Neha Naik before strangulating Usha with a nylon rope and smothering Neha with a pillow. She then robbed their gold ornaments and gave them to Abhijit for safe-keeping.
65 witnesses and physical evidence, like the nylon rope and plastic bag, were examined during the investigation of Vasco Police Inspector Sagar Ekoskar.
The case will come up for hearing on September 24.
