Indian Man Allegedly Tortured Into False Confession Over Brutal 2017 Murder of Irish Backpacker

An Indian man has been found guilty of the brutal rape and murder of 28-year-old Irish backpacker Danielle McLaughlin, whose naked and battered body was discovered hidden in Canacona, Goa, in 2017. McLaughlin had been reported missing the previous day after being last seen walking with the man later charged with her murder. The long-awaited verdict has finally brought some closure to her grieving family, who have endured an agonising eight-year legal battle for justice.

The Disappearance and Murder of Danielle McLaughlin

Originally from County Donegal, McLaughlin was a student at Liverpool John Moores University and had been travelling with a friend from Australia since February 2017. On the night of her disappearance, she attended a Holi celebration at the Green Park Resort on Palolem Beach, where she was seen wearing traditional face paint. CCTV footage later captured her walking away with Vikat Bhagat, the man now convicted of her murder.

Her body was found the following day by a local farmer, Prashant Komarpant, who was heading to his field. She had been strangled, raped, and viciously attacked, with deep wounds to her face inflicted by a broken beer bottle. The face paint she had worn the previous evening had been completely erased by the brutality of the assault.

A post-mortem confirmed that McLaughlin had been strangled to death and suffered severe head and facial injuries, as well as vaginal bruising indicating sexual assault. DNA evidence found at the crime scene, along with CCTV footage, led to Bhagat's swift arrest.

Vikat Bhagat: From Serial Thief to Convicted Murderer

Bhagat, now 31, was a petty criminal from Canacona with a long history of offences, including robbery and housebreaking, primarily targeting foreign tourists. His criminal record dates back to 2008, when he was just 15 years old.

Police discovered Bhagat's blood-stained clothes, along with items belonging to McLaughlin, near his home. Crucially, his fingerprints were found on the broken beer bottle at the crime scene. Despite this damning evidence, Bhagat initially confessed before retracting his statement and spinning a convoluted alternative account.

Bhagat's Shifting Story: Lies, Blame, and Denial

Bhagat's shifting testimony delayed the investigation significantly. After initially confessing, he later retracted his statement, presenting a lengthy 29-page letter in which he claimed to have been in love with McLaughlin and alleged that three of his friends were responsible for her death.

According to Bhagat, he and McLaughlin had been drinking and smoking cannabis with others before planning to meet friends at Leopard Valley. He claimed they stopped at a usual smoking spot, where McLaughlin was later found dead.

In his letter, Bhagat wrote: 'While sipping beer, I received a call from (a friend) saying they were in Leopard Valley and asked us to join them. As we sat there, two bikes approached with their headlights switched off. They came up to me, and when I questioned why they were there, (friend) asked me to tell Danielle to have sex with them.'

He alleged that McLaughlin slapped one of the men, triggering a violent attack in which she was stripped, raped, and beaten with a beer bottle. However, police investigated the three men named in Bhagat's letter and ruled them out as suspects.

Nearly eight years later, Bhagat has finally been convicted by South Goa's District and Sessions Court, despite maintaining his innocence throughout the trial.

Bhagat Claims He Was Tortured into Confessing

At his final hearing, Bhagat accused the police of torturing him into giving a false confession. He claimed officers beat him and forced him to place his fingerprints on the beer bottle used in the attack.

His sister, Geeta Bhagat, a nurse, echoed his claims: 'My brother is being framed. He told me in a letter that he informed the police about the involvement of three other men, but they refused to listen. Instead, they gave him electric shocks in his calf muscles and forced him to touch the broken beer bottles for fingerprints.'

However, McLaughlin's family has remained resolute in their belief that Bhagat alone is responsible for her murder. In a statement, her mother, Andrea, and sister, Joleen, said: 'There was no other suspect or gang involved in Danielle's death. Vikat Bhagat was solely responsible for cruelly ending her beautiful life.'

McLaughlin's Family Finally Sees Justice

After an excruciating eight-year trial, Danielle McLaughlin's family has expressed relief at the guilty verdict.

'We are very emotional after the verdict but so glad her voice was heard,' they said in a statement. 'It will never bring her back, but we are glad he was found guilty.'

The family extended their gratitude to their legal team in Goa, led by Vikram Varma, as well as their local lawyer, Desmond Doherty.

'Without this joint legal representation, we would have been lost in the process,' they explained. 'This was an eight-year murder trial that has been very tiring. We are glad it is over.'

Although the fight for justice has been long and exhausting, McLaughlin's family hopes that with Bhagat behind bars, they can finally begin the process of healing. This verdict brings not only justice but also a chance for them to honour Danielle's memory in a way that once seemed impossible in the wake of such a senseless tragedy.