'Blunt force caused death of Russian girl'

'Blunt force caused death of Russian girl'
Preetu Nair, TNN

PANAJI: The postmortem report of the 19-year-old Russian girl, Elena Sukhonova, whose mutilated body was found on the railway tracks at Tivim, states that she died "as a result of blunt force impact by object or surface consequent to run over by a railway rolling stock".

Railway officials continued to rule out the police's rail accident' theory saying that chances of the girl falling from the train were bleak.

Forensic doctor A V Fenandes of the Goa Medical College (GMC) and Hospital, Bambolim in his report said that the death was "due to crushing cranio-cerebral damage, with chest, abdominal, and pelvic injuries associated with separation of right upper limb and left ankle and multiple fractures to all bones as a result of blunt force impact by object or surface consequent to run over by a railway rolling stock".

Elena Sukhonova's viscera has been preserved for chemical analysis. Police sources said that her viscera will be sent for chemical analysis to detect whether she had consumed any alcoholic or narcotic substance.

The GMC has also preserved one of her molars for DNA profiling. Her body was found on the tracks by railway gangmen around 7.45am on Friday approximately 3.5 km from Tivim station.

Confirming the postmortem report, SP (North) Tony Fernandes said, "Inquiry into the case is in progress and it is too early to call it murder, accident or even suicide. We have registered a case of unnatural death'."

The police have asked for details of the ticket collectors of the Mangla Express and Netravati Express, and the passengers who boarded the two trains at the Tivim railway station. "There were some passengers who boarded the two trains at the Tivim railway station on that day," said police sources.

Police sources added that perhaps when Elena slipped, she may have clung to the handle of the train and that her left ankle could have got entangled in the wheel. However, railway authorities disputed the police theory.

"People falling from the train will not come directly under the wheels as there are steps below the door. If you were hanging on the door when the train was moving in the forward direction, then your legs would have come under the wheels and not the hands, head and the rest of the body," said Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) PRO Baban Ghatge.

Ghatge also said that their records don't show a Russian having bought a ticket to travel to Mumbai from Tivim or any other station in Goa.

"None of our railway staff at Tivim station saw her at the station in the early hours of May 8. There were very few passengers early in the morning and even the shops were closed. There were three railway staff on duty that night," he added.

Police investigations had revealed that she was dropped at the Tivim railway station by a yellow cab driver at around 3am on May 8 and that she had mentioned to the driver that she wanted to go to Mumbai.

From the evidence available, it appears that she might have travelled either on the Mangala Express that left Tivim at 5.02am or the Netravati Express that left at 7.09 am. And, somehow she might fallen from the train when she was travelling'.

Incidentally, a local boy whom the girl befriended, is absconding and both the Calangute and Mapusa police have been hunting for him.

Incidentally, Elena had told the Calangute police that she wanted to stay in Goa as she was in love with Vinay alias Vinny.

May 12,2009, The Times of India, Goa edition