Russian woman, 37, found dead in north Goa room; her hands tied, throat slit: Police

The suspect, identified as Aleksei Leonov, 37, was traced and arrested at 4 am, hours after the body of Elena Kasthanova, 37, was found on Thursday evening

Published on: Jan 16, 2026, 19:45:52 IST

By Gerard de Souza

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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.

Police said the body was spotted by their landlord. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gerard de Souza
Gerard de Souza is a Special Correspondent based in Goa and has been reporting on and about issues concerning the state and the wider western coast of India for over 18 years. His wide range of stories covers politics, crime, environment and tourism-related concerns emerging from India’s smallest state. Born and brought up in Goa, he has a deep understanding of the former Portuguese enclave’s evolution from a laidback collection of idyllic villages that first drew flower power generation of counter culture enthusiasts to its shores to one that has become synonymous in Indian popular culture with an aspirational holiday, seeing the best (and worst) that holidayers have to offer. He also keenly follows criminal trials. Most notably, he covered the trial surrounding the killing of Scarlett Keeling, a British teenager found dead on Anjuna beach, and that of Danielle McLaughlin similarly killed in south Goa, among others. He authored the book ‘Crimes of Passion: When Desire Turns Deadly,’ chronicling cases of romance turning to rage and murder. A graduate of Goa University, he learnt the trade on the job and has experience on both the reporting and editorial sides of the profession. When not sniffing around for a worthy headline, he likes to spend time outdoors to help ensure his heart is always in the right place.Read More

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