Monika Ghurde, a well-known perfumer, was found dead at her residence in Goa’s Sangolda village on Friday.
There were no clothes on her body and her hand and legs were tied to a bed, said the police, who suspect that the 39-year-old was raped and murdered. There are marks on the neck that could indicate that she was strangled, said JG Dalvi, police inspector at Porvorim, who is probing the case.
A murder case was registered and the body was sent for forensic analysis, police said.
Her body has been sent for autopsy and officials have started questioning Ghurde’s neighbours. Ghurde, the famed perfume specialist, was living in a rented three-bedroom flat in Sangolda village, since July after shifting from the adjoining Porvorim village.
The building watchman has allegedly told the police that he had no information on anyone entering the apartment. The police have rounded up several people from the village, which is 5 km away from Goa’s famous Calangute beach.
Before being a perfume designer, Monika Ghurde was a successful photographer. She later pursued perfumery and started off her first lab in Chennai. She also co-founded Graf Publishing, design and publishing company.
She was known for conducting ‘smell’ workshops in various part of the world and was involved in collaboration projects in Europe, India and New York.
Monika believed one’s choice of fragrance reveals a great deal about their personality and mood. “Nobody knows what the nose knows, despite the fact that for centuries human beings have used fragrant materials to pray, to heal, to make love and war. It has always been a part of our legacy. We recognise that our sense of smell plays an important role in the formation and expression of human consciousness,” reads her website.
