Panaji: A 35-year-old former security guard from Bangalore has been arrested in connection with the murder of celebrity perfume maker Monika Ghurde in Goa, and has been accused of sexual assault before the killing. According to the police, Rajkumar Singh admitted to having tied Ghurde to her bed inside her apartment and forced her to watch a pornographic film before the murder.
A 35-year-old man named Rajkumar Singh, who hails from Punjab was arrested in Bangalore and brought to Goa on transit remand last night. Police Inspector Rajesh Kumar said that the accused was presented before a magistrate, who remanded him to police custody for seven days. A few days ago, Monika was found dead in her apartment. The police traced the alleged killer and arrested him at a hotel in Bangalore. He had used the woman’s ATM card to withdraw money, which led the police to him. During the torture of the woman, he extracted the PIN from her.
The accused was a security guard and had worked in the same complex where Ghurde resided. Along with his job as a guard, he also used to clean the cars of some families living in that complex, including Ghurde’s. However, in July of this year, Ghurde accused him of stealing her umbrella, which led to him being fired from his job. The agency that employed him not only terminated his employment but also withheld two months’ salary. He made several attempts to find employment elsewhere but was unsuccessful, and he returned with the intention of teaching Ghurde a lesson.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Vimal Gupta stated that the accused had confessed to the crime. He informed the investigating officer that he stayed on the rooftop of the building for two days, monitoring Ghurde’s activities without her knowledge. Then, on the evening of October 5th, he forcibly entered Ghurde’s flat. Singh revealed during interrogation that he tormented Ghurde throughout the night and eventually strangled her to death.
