A shameful incident questioning the existence of humanity took place in Goa where an Irish lady of 28 found naked and murdered on a beach. On Tuesday morning, the body of Danielle McLaughlin, the deceased, was discovered in the nude condition in south Goa’s Deubaug at a remote location.
In connection with the case, a man identified as Vikat Bhagat (23) who lives in Char Rasta’s Bhagatwada in Canacona has been taken into custody. Vikat has a criminal past and Canacona cops detained him on Wednesday. As per the cops, interrogation is going on with three other people for finding out their involvement in the case. Danielle was seen with Vikat along with three others in a shack at Colomb and this place is in close proximity to the spot from where her dead body has been discovered.
Vikat had already confessed to have raped Danielle on Monday night when he took her to a remote location, as claimed by cops. Subsequent to rape, he murdered the woman with a broken beer bottle so that cops could not catch and punish him. Her face and head had been injured; this is what Times Of India was told by DSP Sammy Tavares, the investigating supervisor,
“We have arrested Bhagat. He has confessed to raping the victim and later killing her in order to hide his identity. The body was lying in a pool of blood without clothes and there were injuries on the head and face. Seven injury marks were observed on different parts of her body, including head and face, suggesting a scuffle.”
Bambolim’s Goa Medical College and Hospital will conduct the post-mortem and only after seeing the report, cops can charge the suspect with rape. For the purpose of DNA profiling, the hospital has been asked for preserving forensic materials, such as the woman’s nail clippings.
According to Karthik Kashyap, SP (north & south), the confession has been done by Bhagat. Sources revealed that Danielle was seen in the shack which is quite famous and loved by international travelers. Celebrations of Holi had been arranged there only and the woman along with her friends was present at the location. The CCTV recording captured Vikat and his three friends with Danielle at the shack and on this ground, the cops detained the man.
Sources further disclosed that McLaughlin came to Goa last year too and possibly, she had made few local friends at that time. What’s more shocking is that she knew Vikat ever since she visited Goa last time. In 2017, the woman had been living in north Goa’s Arambol since 23rd February.
On 12th March, Danielle reached Canacona and resided in Agonda with a friend. From there, she went to Palolem on Monday at about 1pm. The CCTV recording disclosed that Bhagat was seen with McLaughlin till about 9:30pm in a Palolem shack.
The cops have recovered the clothes worn by the deceased, kept in a bag near the house of Bhagat. Her British passport is also recovered; she was a citizen of both Ireland and England. What’s more, Bhagat’s scooter has been seized by the police.
The British high commission and Irish embassy are constantly in touch with the authorities in Goa. As per the reports, McLaughlin’s childhood was spent in Buncrana where she studied in Scoil Mhuire secondary school and then she went to study in a university in Liverpool. In February, she left Ireland to fulfill her dream of “backpacking around the world”.
Here’s what her mother, Andrea Brannigan, said,
“The family would like to express our thanks to all who have got in touch since receiving this awful news. As you can expect we are finding it very difficult at this trying time. We want to thank the Irish and British consulates who, along with Colin from the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, and many friends who have assisted at this time. Danielle will be sadly missed by us all.”
RIP