Deposing before the Fast Track Court here on Monday, Lodge Manager Nagesh stated that Mohan Kumar along with a woman had checked in at their lodge at about 4 pm. At 5.30 pm they both went out and at 8 pm Mohan Kumar returned to the lodge alone. Within 15 minutes of arrival he checked out of the lodge, said the Manager.
On being asked how he could remember Mohan so precisely and could identify him, the Manager said, “Usually, the couple who come to our lodge check in and check out together. In Mohan’s case it was different. I paid a little more attention to him as the lady who had accompanied him while checking in, was missing when he returned to the lodge at 8 pm and also while checking out.”
Nagesh also said that police brought Mohan Kumar to his lodge on December 4, 2009 as part of the investigation and Mohan Kumar himself showed the police, the room in which he stayed with Sunanda.
“The police officers showed me the photograph of a lady and I identified it to be the photo of the same lady who had come to the lodge with Mohan,” he testified.
Cross questioning the witness, Mohan asked for the proof of his stay in the lodge. Failing to show any documents, Nagesh replied that the documents and register books of their lodge were damaged during the renovation of the building.
Further Mohan asked as to why Nagesh could not recognise him initially when he was brought to the lodge for police investigation? For which Nagesh said he was not very familiar with Mohan’s face, so it took a little time for him to recognise and identify.
Second witness
Another witness, room boy of the lodge Basavanna too testified in the Court and stated that he had taken Mohan and the lady to their room in February 2008.
Former Assistant Sub Inspector of Laskar police station Mysore Muniswamy testified that it was he who had taken Sunanda who was found in unconscious state in the inter-state bus stand in Mysore city, to K R Hospital and had received death memo from the hospital.
Three more witnesses testified before the Court on Monday.
The next trial would be on Thursday.