The Justice delayed is equal to Justice denied. The case of Danielle McLaughlin who was brutally raped and murdered at Canacona three years back is yet to see the light of justice. Despite the direction from the supreme court to Fast-track the case of Danielle, the court is taking its own sweet time with hardly any development in the case.
While Goa is a relatively safe place for women, there have been a few shocking cases that have rattled the world and locals of Goa. One was the murder of Danielle McLaughlin, 28 years of age, who hailed from Buncrana, Ireland.
She came to Goa in the month of February 2017 and was last seen at a party to celebrate Holi at the green Park resort in Palolem Beach on the night of March 13. The next day, her body was found stripped and battered by a farmer four miles away near Deobag Beach. Cops said that Danielle was raped, strangled and slashed to death.
Goa Police arrested the prime accused of the case Vikat Bhagat who allegedly raped and murdered Danielle. The police took him into custody but Bhagat denied all charges and blamed the cops for fabricating the evidence against him as well as tortured him while in custody.
Meanwhile, the mother of Danielle, Andrea Brannigan, has expressed her anguish over the case which is dragging on for the past 3 years, in spite of being assured of fast-tracking it.
Andrea Brannigan spoke to a correspondent from Herald, over the phone on Friday, after a representative from the Irish embassy attended the trial of the accused Vikat Bhagat, earlier this week.
Brannigan said that the trial over her daughter’s murder could last for years but she wouldn’t give up the fight. She further stated that that the lengthy process of the trial was taking a toll on her health. “I just want it over, you are constantly worrying, I won’t sleep knowing he is up tomorrow,” said Brannigan from her hometown in Ireland.
Lamenting that it was someone that her daughter considered as a friend, Brannigan said, “I want to visit Goa and look into the eyes of the person who killed my harmless daughter who till she was attacked thought that she was with a friend, you never do this to a friend.”
She further expressed her sorrow over the fact that Bhagat is appealing against the prison custody after a raid conducted of the jail last month, revealed a large number of mobile phones and one kilogram of narcotics with the jail’s inmates.
Bhagat has informed the court that none of the forbidden items were found in his room but he was sentenced under the pretext of disciplinary disobedience.
Brannigan, on the other hand, wants to know as to why the trial seems to focus more on the rights of the accused than the fact that he raped and murdered her daughter.
She is of the opinion that this was causing unnecessary delays in the proceedings and she was determined in getting justice for her daughter. Danielle herself was a crusader for human rights back in her hometown.
One hopes that the fight for justice continues the police and curt try to fast track the case and make sure that justice is meted out to Danielle, her mother, and her family.
Source: Heraldo
