Dr Aasha Goel murder case: 18 years on, trial yet to start | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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Dr Aasha Goel murder case: 18 years on, trial yet to start

By, Mumbai
Aug 07, 2021 07:28 PM IST

Around 18 years after the murder of Dr Aasha Goel, her family is still awaiting the trial of four accused including one of her brothers and her maternal uncle.

Around 18 years after the murder of Dr Aasha Goel, her family is still awaiting the trial of four accused including one of her brothers and her maternal uncle.

Police had found 21 injuries on Dr Aasha Goel’s body including a massive head injury, broken jaw, ruptured liver and stab wounds. (FILE)
Police had found 21 injuries on Dr Aasha Goel’s body including a massive head injury, broken jaw, ruptured liver and stab wounds. (FILE)

Dr Goel, 62, was murdered the Malabar Hill residence of her brother Suresh Agarwal on August 14, 2003. Police had found 21 injuries on her body including a massive head injury, broken jaw, ruptured liver and stab wounds.

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A murder case was registered with Malabar police station and was later transferred to the Mumbai Police’s crime branch. The crime branch had booked four persons — Narendra Goel, Pradeep Parab, Pawankumar Goenka and Manohar Shinde.

Police claimed that the accused took care of properties belonging to the Agarwals and were allegedly paid by one of the brothers. Of the four accused, Parab has been turned an approver in the case.

However, since 2006, the case has been stuck in legal tangle. It was only in 2016 that the case came to be committed to the sessions court for trial.

While talking to HT, Goel’s son Sanjay and daughter Rashmi expressed disappointment at the way the case was being dragged for so many years. “It’s very frustrating. These accused follow a pattern whereby they file frivolous application one after the other which takes lot of time of the court and the case gets stuck,” said Rashmi, 53, professor of law at the University of Denver.

Recently when the case was scheduled for trial, the accused filed applications for production of various documents which included copies of remand applications submitted by crime branch in 2003 while seeking custody of the accused, narco analysis report of the accused conducted at Bengaluru, lie detection report of accused conducted at Gujarat, copy of passport of Shekhar Agrawal (one of Goel’s brothers), insurance policy, insurance claim letter, correspondence regarding insurance payment of Goel.

The sessions court, after hearing the plea, denied supplying several documents to the accused as they are irrelevant to the case. The prosecution, however, has been asked to supply copies of narco analysis test Report and lie detector test report of accused.

“The sessions court has been asked to expedite the trial, but things just get delayed. Our concerns now, with the challenges that Covid brings, are availability of witnesses and medical evidence; especially when there is restriction on travel for people residing out of India. How will my father, who is 84, depose,” Rashmi said.

Sanjay, Goel’s elder son who works with travel industry, said he has been to India for more than 80 times and met senior officials to discuss the case. “We just want justice. I was there with my mother when she visited India in 2003. She wanted to meet her brother who was unwell, and it was rakhi time. She was so worried about her brothers. But look what they did to her,” Sanjay said.

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