A suspect was arrested on Sunday for the alleged rape and murder of celebrity perfumer Monika Ghurde whose naked body was found, with her hands and legs tied, at her house in north Goa’s Sangolda two day ago.
Goa director general of police Muktesh Chander confirmed the arrest from Bengaluru.
The suspect had allegedly stolen the 39-year-old Ghurde’s bank ATM card and cell phone. Police are checking if he had taken away any jewellery as well.
There is a strong suspicion that she might have been robbed, raped and killed on Thursday night at her three-bedroom apartment. A well-known name in social circles, she lived alone while her husband stayed in a house nearby.
She used to stay on the first floor of flat number 2, Jasmine Building, Sapna Raj Valley — close to Goa’s famous Calangute beach and about 10km from capital Panaji.
The murder was discovered when her domestic help reported for duty on Friday. She rang the bell a few times and called Ghurde’s brother after no one responded from inside.
The brother called her on her mobile phone but received no answer. Then he called one of the neighbours, who opened the house with a spare key that Ghurde had kept with him.
{{/usCountry}}The brother called her on her mobile phone but received no answer. Then he called one of the neighbours, who opened the house with a spare key that Ghurde had kept with him.
{{/usCountry}}The neighbour spotted the body and alerted police. A case has been registered at Saligao police station and Ghurde’s body was sent for an autopsy. Investigators were also checking CCTV footage.
The globe-trotting perfumer was famous for her obsession with the scent of jasmine, which resulted in a collaborative work with author William Dalrymple to trace the history of the flower.
Ghurde was a successful photographer and graphic designer before she founded Mo Labs through which she conducted ‘smell’ workshops around the world. She was also researching on the effects of perfumes on human consciousness.