PANJIM: Goa Police expect to make an arrest in the murder of renowned perfume specialist Monica Ghurde soon.
North Goa Superintendent of Police Umesh Gaonkar said that different officers have been given different tasks and that an arrest will be made soon. He said that teams have been sent in different direction to the neighbouring States based on leads gathered after the initial investigation.
He, however, said that while the post-mortem conducted on Ghurde’s body confirms she was strangulated to death, it is not clear on whether she was raped.
Post-mortem was conducted on Saturday evening by a panel of doctors in Goa Medical College and Hospital. “The post-mortem report has confirmed that she died due to strangulation and smothering,” North Goa Superintendent of Police Umesh Gaonkar told Herald.
He said that the post-mortem report is not clear on the suspicion of rape and doctors have preserved the viscera for serological analysis. “The viscera that has been preserved would be sent for serological analysis to Hyderabad. We will be able to confirm the rape only after that,” Gaonkar said.
Ghurde, who lived alone in a rented three-bedroom flat at Sangolda, was found dead on October 6. Police suspect the murder must have taken place on the night of October 5 or the early hours of October 6.
Ghurde last chatted with her brother on October 5 at 7.30pm and had told him that she would be going out that night. Police are looking for leads at places she used to visit, Gaonkar said. A senior police officer said that Saligao police have interrogated over a dozen witnesses and their statements have been recorded.
Ghurde, originally from Nagpur was married to photographer Bharat Ram Amrutam from Tamil Nadu and earlier resided at Porvorim. She separated from her husband a year back and was now living independently.
Police have registered a case of murder under Section 302 of the IPC.
