Cyanide Killing: Witness had seen Sunanda with Mohan

December 5, 2011

mohan


Mangalore, December 5: In the case pertaining to the death of Sunanda from Sullia in which Mohan Kumar alias ‘Cyanide Mohan’ is the accused, five witnesses deposed before the Fast Track Court here on Saturday.

One of the main witnesses Harini who is the cousin of Sunanda said that she had seen Mohan talking to his sister at a Congress rally held at Nehru Maidan in Mangalore on January 19, 2008. “Several people from our village had been to Mangalore to attend the Congress rally and the group included myself and Sunanda.

However, during the stage programme, when we all were seated at the ground, Sunanda was not to be seen. When I went out looking for her, I found her talking to a man near the parked jeep,” said Harini who also confirmed that the man was none other Mohan Kumar.

Further, she said that on returning home, Sunanda had told her about the man and had referred to him as Shashidhar. Shashidhar alias Mohan Kumar had introduced himself as the Supevisor in the Central Government Department and had convinced Sunanda of marrying her.

“On February 11, 2008, Sunanda left home saying she would go to Malla temple in Kerala along with Shashidhar. She had said that she would go to temple to offer special prayer to the God to eliminate ‘dosha’ which would block her marriage with Shashidhar.

Though she was supposed to return home in the evening, she called us at 6 pm and informed that she would come the next morning as they were yet to offer the ‘pooja’,” said Harini.

Further in her statement she said, on the same night at 8 pm, she received a call from the Mysore police who informed her about the death of Sunanda.

Soon after, we left to Mysore and identified her dead body at K R Hospital. Sunanda was wearing a necklace, a chain, a pair of earrings and bangles while she left the house, but had nothing on her body when we saw her at the hospital, said Harini.

Cross question

In response to her statements, Mohan Kumar argued that Harini had not seen him talking to Sunanda at Nehru Maidan, for which Harini said in certainty that she has seen him

talking to her sister.

Cross questioning her, Mohan Kumar asked why she has not mentioned about the missing jewelery in the police complaint filed at the Laskhar police station in Mysore, for which Harini kept mum.

Rathnavathi, mother of Sunanda who too was the main witness, narrated the entire story and said that Sunanda had told her of drawing Rs 25,000 cheque at Netravathi Bank in Bellare before leaving to Malla. Rathnavathi also said that she had identified the jeweleries belonging to her daughter at Ashirvad Finance in Thokkottu.

Cross questioning Rathnavathi, Mohan Kumar asked her to name those who accompanied her when she was taken to Ashirvad Finance. And there came the reply: “Don’t you know who all went there?” (Even Mohan Kumar was taken to the Finance along with Rathnavathi)

Finding her reply rude, Mohan Kumar asked the judge to tell the witness to speak with humility. However, the judge dismissed his plea and said it was not a problem as the reply has not affected the court procedure.

Three more witnesses, namely Subrhamnya, the cashier in Karnataka Gramina Vikasa Bank, Karnataka Pradesha Congress Member Rajivi Rai and Sunanda’s neighbour Ramanna Rao too put forth their statements.

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Agencies
July 2,2020

Tuticorin, Jul 2: The Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CBCID) of Tamil Nadu police have arrested five policemen working in Sathankulam police station in Tuticorin district for the murder of P. Jeyaraj and his son J. Bennicks, officials said.

The CBCID also altered the first information report (FIR) registered on the death of Jeyaraj and Bennicks as a murder case from the earlier charge of suspicious death.

The five arrested policemen are: Inspector Sridhar, Sub-Inspectors Balakrishnan and Raghu Ganesh, Head Constable Murugan and Constable Muthuraj.

Ganesh was remanded to custody till July 16 on late Wednesday.

According to Inspector General CBCID Shankar, 12 teams have been formed to carry out the probe into the custodial death of father and son Jeyaraj and Bennicks.

Jeyaraj and Bennicks had been booked for not closing their mobile shop in time on June 19 by the Sathankulam police. They were sent to judicial custody and lodged in Kovilpatti jail on June 21.

Jeyaraj died on June 22 night and Bennicks on June 23 morning in judicial custody, allegedly due to the police torture.

The Madras High Court Bench in Madurai which took up the case suo moto had said there was prima facie evidence to register a murder case against the Sathankulam police officials.

The Kovilpatti Judicial Magistrate M.S. Bharathidasan who was asked to inquire into the case of brutal torture of AJeyaraj and his son Bennicks by the Sathankulam police on June 19 and their subsequent deaths had submitted is report to the High Court.

A woman police constable Revathy, at the Sathankulam police station, in her deposition before Bharathidasan had said that Jeyaraj and Bennicks were beaten with batons throughout the June 19 night.

According to Bharathidasan's report, Revathy also said the victims' blood stains were on the batons of the station police officials and on tables.

She said the batons and the tables should be secured so that the evidence is not lost, the report stated.

Expressing fear that she may be targeted later, Revathy was initially reluctant to sign a printout of her statement but later on being assured of her safety she signed the document.

The court also transferred the probe into the deaths of Jeyaraj and Bennicks to the Crime Branch Crime Investigation Department (CBCID) to gather and protect the evidence till the case is handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The High Court has initiated criminal contempt cases against three police officials - Additional Superintendent of Police Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police Prathapan and constable Maharajan - for their behaviour at the Sathankulam police station in front of Magistrate Bharathidasan.

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News Network
February 5,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 5: City Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru City have arrested two drug peddlers from Kerala and have seized banned products from their possession.

According to officials the arrested persons have been identified as Shinto Thomas (35) of Wayanad and Tajudden Talat (29) of Thiruvananthapuram.

"We have seized 4 kg 350 grams of Hashish oil, 21.5 kgs of Ganja, Rs. 9300 cash, two mobile phones, two ganja crushing tools, and 625 empty boxes and other articles from them", police said in a statement.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Amaravati, Jul 31: Nine people have died after allegedly consuming sanitiser in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh today, the police said.

Prakasam district Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kaushal said the people had been consuming sanitiser for the past few days, mixing it with water and soft drinks.

"We are also investigating whether they laced the sanitiser with any other toxic substances," the official said.

"Their family members say these people have been consuming sanitiser for the past ten days. We are sending the sanitiser stocks, being sold in the area, for examination," he added.

Kurichedu in Prakasam district has been under lockdown due to rise in coronavirus cases and hence, liquor shops have also been shut since the past few days.

Habitual drinkers were said to be consuming sanitisers that have alcohol content, apart from illicitly distilled arrack.

The police said two beggars near a temple were the first to fall victim on Thursday night. While one of them was found dead at the spot, another died in the government hospital in Darsi town, they said.

A third person was also taken to the Darsi hospital late on Thursday night after he fell unconscious but he was declared brought dead. Six others who fell ill after allegedly consuming sanitiser, died this morning.

Others who fell ill after consuming sanitiser are undergoing treatment at their residences in the village, the police added.

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