Czech national acquitted of girlfriend’s murder in Goa

The high court of Bombay (HC) at Goa has upheld the acquittal of a Czech national who was arrested for having allegedly murdered his girlfriend in a room of a guest

The high court of Bombay (HC) at Goa has upheld the acquittal of a Czech national who was arrested for having allegedly murdered his girlfriend in a room of a guest house at Calangute in 2013.

Gavel and law books (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Initially, the accused, Pavel Neuhausel, was found by passersby below a railway bridge at Cansa, Tivim, in an unconscious state.

Later, the police took him back to the guest house, where it was found that his girlfriend, Markita Horka, was lying dead in a pool of blood.

Pavel had filed a police complaint, which stated that he and Horka were attacked by two unknown persons, who had kidnapped and dumped him on a road.

However, the police concluded that it was Pavel, who had killed Horka by stabbing her on the neck and chest multiple times, following which he had filed a false complaint in a bid to deflect the blame for the murder.

However, the HC agreed with the trial court that the police had failed to present a watertight case and did not take the complaints seriously among other lapses.

“There was no serious investigation into the complaint of the accused even though it relates to the same incident in respect of which he was charged with murder. The prosecution had failed to carry out an investigation into the complaint of the accused. It is unsafe to rely upon the prosecution’s version that the accused had perpetrated the crime,” the HC ruled.

Pavel, who was out on bail, had left India and his disappearance prompted the HC to seek a report from the Goa Police.

Data showed that upto 90% of the foreigners, who were out on bail, were untraceable by the Goa Police.