Former security guard sexually abused perfumer before murder

Raj Kumar Singh (21), who had been arrested in connection with the murder of celebrity perfumer Monika Ghurde, was on Tuesday remanded in 7-day police custody by a local court.

Singh, a former security guard, was arrested in Bengaluru on Sunday with the help of the Karnataka police. He was brought to Goa late on Monday evening and produced before a Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Mapusa in north Goa on Tuesday.

The Goa police investigation had found that Singh, a native of Bhatinda in Punjab, withdrew over Rs. one lakh using the ATM card of the deceased in Goa, Mangalore and Bengaluru. The repeated ATM card withdrawals and tracking of the victim’s mobile phone in all three areas, helped police track the accused.

Police said he confessed to his crime to the police team which nabbed him.

Ghurde (39) was found dead on Thursday in her three-bedroom apartment in Sangolda village, around 10 km from here. Her partially clothed body was found lying on the bed with her hands and tied. The post-mortem examination report suggested she was strangled. Report on possible sexual assault has been reserved.

Addressing a press conference at the police headquarters on Tuesday evening, Dy. Inspector General of Police (DIG) Vimal Gupta said the crime as per the confession of the accused involved lust, revenge and planning.

He said the accused was attracted to the victim who came to the Sapna Raj Valley apartments at Sangolda on June 7 this year to find out if there were rental premises. She met the security guard, enquired about vacant flats and began staying there after 4-5 days.

“He kept track of her: that she stays alone, was a socialite and had very few visitors,” said Mr. Gupta. The accused interacted with her often.

Immediate motive

The immediate motive, according to police, was his anger against her for a complaint against him about her umbrella.

There had been many complaints previously and the latest one got him dismissed from the job on July 2, with a salary of around two months not paid. The accused later visited the victim a couple of times pleading unsuccessfully with her to withdraw her complaint. He then systematically planned the crime after a couple of attempts a few days earlier.

Tied her up

On that fateful evening, he apparently rang the door-bell of her apartment. When she opened the door he entered and flashed a knife and overpowered her, took her to her bathroom and later in a semi-conscious state took her to her bedroom and tied her hands and legs.

After finding hardly Rs. 4000 in her purse, he threatened her and got her bank debit card and forced her to give the passwords of the card as well as her mobile.

After sexually assaulting her, he strangled her by pressing her neck and mouth and left with her mobile and credit card, the police said.

Source: The Hindu