A Goa court convicted Vikat Bhagat for the rape and murder of a British-Irish woman whose body was discovered in 2017. The court will announce the sentencing soon. The victim’s family expressed relief at the verdict but lamented the years of grief endured.
Goa: A Goa sessions court on Friday (Feb 14th) convicted Vikat Bhagat for the rape and murder of a British-Irish national whose body was found near Palolem Beach in 2017. The case, which shocked the state, revealed through a post-mortem that the victim had died due to brain haemorrhage and constriction of the neck.
Bhagat was convicted under IPC sections 302 (murder), 376 (rape), and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence). The court heard arguments on sentencing on Friday and is expected to announce the sentence on Monday.
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The 28-year-old woman, a dual citizen of Britain and Ireland, had come to Goa for a holiday in February 2017. A former student of Liverpool John Moores University, she hailed from Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland, and had traveled on a British passport.
Her body was found on March 14, 2017, in a field near Palolem Beach, lying in a pool of blood, unclothed, with injuries on her head and face. The night before, she had attended a Holi party near the beach.
Goa Police arrested Vikat Bhagat, a local with a criminal record involving theft, assault, and robbery, in connection with the crime. When the guilty verdict was announced, the victim’s mother, sister, and friend, who had traveled from Ireland for the hearing, broke down in court.
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“We are very emotional after the verdict but so glad her voice was heard. It will never bring her back, but we are glad he was found guilty,”
the victim’s mother said.
The family thanked the prosecutors, investigators, and legal team, stating,
“We have lost nearly eight years of our lives fighting for her. We can now start grieving her immeasurable loss.”
The prosecution urged the court to impose the maximum punishment, stating,
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“She lost her life at a young age in a brutal rape and murder. No leniency should be shown. A precedent must be set.”
The defence, however, pleaded for a lenient sentence. The court will announce the punishment on Monday.
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