A casino gambling dispute turned deadly in Calangute early Saturday morning when a 29-year-old tourist from Gujarat was chased into a resort and stabbed to death by his own companion.
Calangute police said the murder occurred at around 5:30 a.m. in Tivaiwaddo, only four days after a group of tourists was assaulted at a beach shack. The victim, Rajbhar Ravinarayan Ramdasbhai, 29, had come to Goa along with three-four other friends to visit casinos. All were staying at a hotel in Tivaiwaddo, Calangute.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
On Friday night they had a violent argument over a money dispute during which the victim was severely assaulted and further threatened with dire consequences. To save his life, the tourist ran out of the hotel with his friends in hot pursuit. In an attempt to escape them, he entered the premises of a nearby resort where his friends caught him by the poolside and one of them repeatedly stabbed him with a knife, leaving him in a pool of blood. The hotel staff immediately informed Calangute Police who rushed to the spot.
Ravinarayan was taken to the Candolim Primary Health Centre (PHC) for examination where he was declared brought dead. His body was later shifted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim for post-mortem. Three of the other tourists were immediately detained by police and taken to Calangute Police Station for questioning. However, the main accused who stabbed the victim is absconding, police said. His identity has not been revealed.
A forensic team also visited the spot to collect evidence. The murder weapon, a knife that was thrown into the swimming pool, has been recovered, police said.
Senior police officers SP (North) Harish Madkaikar, DySP Vishwesh Karpe, and PI Laxi Amonkar rushed to the spot to supervise investigations.
Violent incidents involving tourists have become a regular feature in the Calangute-Candolim beach stretch of late, with assaults and murders becoming frequent events.
