Goa police on Sunday arrested a security guard Raj Kumar Singh in Bengaluru in connection with the murder of perfume researcher Monika Ghurde who was found smothered to death on Thursday at Sangolda. He was nabbed in Cottonpete.
“A special team was sent to Bengaluru following the incident. They have tied up with the local police,” said Umesh Gaonkar, district superintendent of police, North Goa. The police collected CCTV footage from the outlet from where the purchase was made. “It matched the footage taken from the ATM,” said a police officer from Bengaluru.
Further investigation revealed that the suspect was hiding in a lodge in Cottonpet. The suspect’s name is Raj Kumar Singh and he is from Punjab. “We will be holding a press conference regarding the arrest around 6 p.m,” said Mr. Gaonkar.
Police also zeroed down on Singh after it was found that the Ghurde’s stolen umbrella was found in his possession which led to the termination of his services.
Witnesses told investigation officer that after the stolen umbrella was found in Singh possession’s, a heated argument ensued between Ghurde and Singh. Senior police officer said that Singh had nursed a grudge against Ghurde and this could have been a motive for the murder. Senior police officer said that suspect his service was terminated in the month of August.
On Saturday, the police had said that the post-mortem conducted on Ghurde, brought to the fore that she was strangulated to death, although it failed to confirm whether she was raped before the murder or not.
The panel of doctors in Goa Medical College and Hospital conducted the post-mortem on the body of 39-year-old Ghurde, who was found dead at her home in Sangolda village on October 6.
Ghurde was living alone in a rented three bedroom flat at Sangolda village near Calangute beach. Police investigations have revealed that she might have been killed on October 5.
The murder was discovered when her domestic help reported for duty on Friday. She rang the bell a few times and called Ghurde’s brother after no one responded from inside.
The brother called her on her mobile phone but received no answer. Then he called one of the neighbours, who opened the house with a spare key that Ghurde had kept with him.
The neighbour spotted the body and alerted police. A case has been registered at Saligao police station and Ghurde’s body was sent for an autopsy.
