KOCHI: Sanu Mohan (42) has been sentenced to life imprisonment, 28 years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1.70 lakh in the case of the brutal murder of ten-year-old girl Vaiga and throwing the body in Muttar River. There will only be an additional ten years of imprisonment as it is sufficient to serve the sentence, except life imprisonment, together. Life imprisonment is to be served after rigorous imprisonment.
Ernakulam Special Additional Sessions Court Judge K Soman pronounced the sentence. The fine should be paid to Vaiga's mother. If he does not pay the fine, he will be imprisoned for two and a half years more. The trial court considered that the Vaiga murder case was not rarest among the rare. The District Legal Service Authority has also directed to take action so that the mother gets adequate compensation.
Vaiga, daughter of Sanu of Sindhu bhavan, Kaithakkattu, Thrikunnapuzha, Alappuzha, was found dead in the Muttar River on March 22, 2021. Sanu took Vaiga from her mother's house in Alappuzha to a flat in Kangarappady, Ernakulam, and after adding alcohol to her soft drink to make her unconscious, he choked her to death. After throwing the dead body into the Muttar River, Sanu escaped in a car through Tamil Nadu. Sanu was arrested 28 days later from Karwar in Karnataka.
The charge sheet states that Sanu, who decided to go into hiding to escape his huge debts, killed his daughter thinking that his wife would not take good care of her. Thrikkakara CI Dhanapalan filed a 240-page charge sheet. The trial started on May 13, 2022 and ended on December 19, 2023. 78 witnesses were examined. 134 documents and 34 pieces of evidence were produced.
Thought to be dead with his daughter, but...
The first conclusion was that Sanu must have committed suicide. The river was searched for two days. The post-mortem of the child's body revealed traces of alcohol, which led to a turning point in the investigation. After the murder, Sanu reached Coimbatore by car and sold the car, his ring and his daughter's bracelet. From there he reached Bengaluru, Mumbai and Goa. After reaching Kollur, he stayed at the lodge for six days and escaped without paying. He was arrested when he reached Karwar. Sanu had left two mobile phones in Kochi. One of these was received by a security guard from Bihar and he took it home. The police reached there and recovered this phone.
Crime and Punishment
1. Indian Penal Code
2. Juvenile Justice Act