UP tourist murdered for attempting to flee with rented SUV from Goa

The UP tourist was found dead at an isolated area at a village in north Goa with multiple injury marks on his face and body, on Friday morning

PANAJI: A 19-year old from Uttar Pradesh was murdered in Goa for allegedly attempting to steal a rented SUV, police said on Saturday.

Police said that the body was found by an unnamed informant, who notified the police. (Representational image)

The deceased, identified as Kapil Chaudhury, was found dead at an isolated area at a village in north Goa with multiple injury marks on his face and body, on Friday morning, prompting the police to launch a homicide probe.

Upon investigation, the police narrowed down on a suspect, Gurudatta Lawande, 31, the owner of the rented SUV. Police said, upon interrogation, Lawande admitted to have assaulted the deceased after he attempted to flee with the SUV, forcing him to personally intercept the SUV along the Mumbai-Goa highway at Kankavli in Maharashtra.

According to the Police, Lawande had rented out the Mahindra Thar SUV to Chaudhury who provided a fake identity card bearing the name Deepak Thakur on Thursday.

However, on the same day, using a car tracker, he found that his Thar car had crossed the Goa border towards Banda Maharashtra.

“He along with his friends set off in their own car to chase and trace his Thar car. They traced the car along with Kapil Chaudhary at Kankavali Maharashtra and intercepted and accosted him. They further brought thar car along with Kapil Chaudhary to Thivim (north Goa) and assaulted him with blows, kicks and one wooden club which they found at the site,” said superintendent of police Rahul Gupta.

Chaudhury was found on Friday morning, by an unnamed informant, who notified the police that a motionless body with multiple external injuries was seen lying at the isolated area.

Lawande was detained while his other associates remain at large, police said.