MARGAO: Vikat Bhagat has been sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment in connection with the rape and murder of an Irish national in Canacona. Bhagat was convicted last week in the case.
On Monday 17 February 2025, Margao JMFC court sentenced Vikat Bhagat to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of an Irish national which took place in 2017. Additional Sessions Judge Kshama Joshi handed down the conviction on Friday, February 14, 2025, after a lengthy trial lasting more than eight years.
Despite witness threats and pandemic disruptions, the prosecution was able to prove Bhagat's guilt using extensive physical evidence, like as blood on his clothing and bike.
Adv Sanjay Samant, Public Prosecutor said 46 witnesses were examined which culminated in the conviction.
Bhagat was found guilty of murder, rape, robbery and destruction of evidence. The victim, a former student of Liverpool John Moores University was discovered dead in an isolated field in Canacona, Goa.
According to the prosecution, Bhagat lured the victim to the secluded area between 10 pm and 7 am where the crime took place.
The autopsy revealed severe cerebral damage and neck constriction, which led to her death, along with significant facial and head injuries caused by a broken bottle. The prosecution's case was bolstered by substantial physical evidence, including injury marks on Bhagat's groin and thigh, believed to have been inflicted during the assault.
Additionally, blood from the victim was found on his clothing and scooter, and a backpack with bloodstained clothes was recovered near his Canacona residence.