Goa serial killer acquitted in fifth case of murder

Alleged serial killer Mahanand Naik was acquitted in the fifth consecutive case of murder charge-sheeted against him, by a local court in Panaji today.Mahanand, 40, was given benefit of doubt by principal sessions Judge Nutan Sardesai after hearing string of arguments by the prosecution.The dead body of Kesar Naik, 33, was found at Sanvordem town and she was found to be killed by strangulation in June, 2007. A modus operandi, police alleged, Mahanand used to murder girls.Mahanand, who was initially arrested for raping his wife's friend last year, has confessed of killing 16 women over a period of 15 years.Police, however, have failed to get a conviction for him in last five murder cases.He was convicted for seven years imprisonment for raping a 23-year-old girl, who was his wife's friend.Acquitting Mahanand in Kesar murder case, the judge ruled that the prosecution failed to produce sufficient evidence against him proving his involvement in the case.The case against Mahanand also got weakened with Central Forensic Laboratory at Hyderabad failed to get DNA test on the bones, which were recovered from the murder site.Police had claimed that Mahanand had killed the girl to rob her of the jewellery.