Irish woman was raped, then killed with a beer bottle, claim Goa cops

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March 16, 2017

Margao, Mar 16: The Canacona police arrested a 23-year-old man with a criminal past on Wednesday on charges of murdering a 28-year-old Irish woman, Danielle McLaughlin.

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McLaughlin's naked body was found at an isolated spot in Deubaug, south Goa, on Tuesday morning. Police named the arrested man as Vikat Bhagat, a resident of Bhagatwada, Char Rasta, Canacona. They said they were also interrogating three others to check if they were involved in the crime, reminiscent of the 2008 rape and murder of 15-year-old Briton Scarlett Keeling. Her killers were never punished.

Bhagat, police sources said, has a criminal record. He and three other locals were seen with the woman at a shack at Colomb, not too far from where her body was found.

Police sources claimed Bhagat had admitted he had raped the Irishwoman after taking her to the isolated spot late on Monday night. He then killed her using a broken beer bottle to prevent her from revealing his identity. Her body was found the next day, with injuries to her head and face. "Seven injury marks were observed on different parts of her body, including head and face, suggesting a scuffle," DSP Sammy Tavares, supervising the investigations, told TOI. Police are awaiting the post-mortem report, which will be conducted by doctors at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, before charging Bhagat with rape. Police have requested GMC to preserve her nail clippings and other forensic material for DNA profiling.

SP (north) Karthik Kashyap, who also holds charge as SP (south), said the accused had confessed to the crime. Sources said the shack where McLaughlin was last seen is very popular with foreign and domestic tourists. On Monday, Holi celebrations were organised at the place and McLaughlin and her friends were among those who attended. Bhagat was arrested on the basis of CCTV footage that revealed that he and three of his friends were also seen with her at the shack.

Sources said the murdered woman had visited Goa last year as well and she may have befriended some locals then. She had known Bhagat since her last visit, sources said. This year, she had been staying at Arambol, north Goa, since February 23.

Police sources said she came down to Canacona on March 12 and stayed at a friend's place in Agonda. On Monday, she proceeded to Palolem at around 1pm. Thereafter, she was seen with the accused at a shack in Overem, Palolem, till around 9.30pm, as revealed by CCTV footage.

The clothes which the deceased had been wearing were found packed in a bag near Bhagat's house, police sources informed. The scooter belonging to the accused has also been attached, as also the British passport belonging to the deceased (she held dual nationality). The Irish embassy and the British high commission are in touch with authorities here. Reports said McLaughlin had left Ireland in February to go "backpacking around the world". She spent her childhood in Buncrana, attending the local Scoil Mhuire secondary school, and later studied at a university in Liverpool.

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
December 1,2025

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Udupi, Dec 1: A horrific case of alleged rape has unfolded in Udupi, where a worker from a Hindutva organisation, previously arrested and released on bail for harassing a young woman, is now accused of waylaying and sexually assaulting her.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Poojary (26), a member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Nairkode unit in Perdur.

Poojary had allegedly been relentlessly harassing the young woman, pressuring her to marry him. When she bravely stood up to him and refused his demands, she filed a formal complaint at the Hiriyadka police station. He was subsequently arrested in that initial harassment case but was later granted bail.

According to police reports, driven by the same malicious grudge, Poojary allegedly intercepted the woman again on November 29. While she was walking through a deserted area, the accused is claimed to have threatened her by grabbing her neck. When she again refused to marry him, he allegedly proceeded to rape her.

The survivor immediately informed her family about the traumatic assault. Following this, her parents lodged a complaint at the Udupi women’s police station.

Police arrested Poojary again and produced him before the court. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

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December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

•    A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

•    The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

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