E-Paper
Russian woman found dead in Goa, arrested ‘live-in partner’ reveals chilling double murder plot
The investigators said the body of the 37-year-old woman, Elena Kasthanova, was discovered in Goa with her arms tied behind her back.
In a twisted tale of a live-in relationship in Goa, a Russian citizen was arrested for allegedly killing his partner after her body was found in a rented room in north Goa’s Arambol. The gruesome discovery was made by the landlord, who found the woman with her throat slit, police said.
As reported by HT earlier, the accused, identified as Aleksei Leonov, was taken into custody in the early hours of Friday, at around 4am. The investigators said the body of the 37-year-old woman, Elena Kasthanova, was discovered on Thursday with her arms tied behind her back, pointing to a violent assault.
“The accused assaulted his friend who he was staying with and wrongfully restrained her, caused her multiple injuries and slit her neck with a sharp weapon,” a police officer said on condition of anonymity.
Police further confirmed that Kasthanova, who had been staying in Goa since 2024, was believed to be in a live-in relationship with Leonov.
Led cops to second victim
But just when the case could not get any darker, the 37-year-old accused confessed to killing another woman.
During interrogation, Leonov led police to the body of a second victim, Elena Vaneeva, also 37, in nearby Morjim. The motive for the killings is still unclear, and police said the investigation is at an early stage to speculate anything.
The probe continues as authorities are collecting evidence, including the alleged murder weapon, and both bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.
Leonov has been booked under sections 103 (murder) and 126(2) (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
(With inputs from Gerard de Souza)
