PANAJI: A 37-year-old Russian national has been arrested for the murder of his live-in partner at their rented room in north Goa’s Arambol area, police said on Friday.
The suspect, identified by the police as Aleksei Leonov, 37, was traced and arrested at 4 am on Friday, hours after the body of Elena Kasthanova, a 37-year-old Russian national, was found on Thursday evening.
Police said the two appeared to have been in a live-in relationship since 2024, when Kasthanova came to Goa.
Police said their landlord Uttam Naik found Kasthanova’s body, her hands tied and throat slit, at about 9:15 pm on Thursday.
“The accused assaulted his friend who he was staying with and restrained her, caused her multiple injuries and slit her throat with a sharp weapon,” a police official said.
Police have registered a case under sections 103 (murder) and sections 126 (2) (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against Leonov.