'Elena could hardly talk English'
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Elena Sukhonova, the Russian teenager whose mutilated body was found on a railway track in Goa on May 8, could not speak English. This places in doubt the claim that she took a taxi ride to Thivim railway station and told the driver she was short of money and wanted to go to Mumbai.
People working in the coastal belt and who had come in contact with Elena say she showed no interest in staying in Goa, couldn’t speak any English and mostly communicated through sign language. The little English she spoke was with great difficulty. “Whenever we wanted to communicate with her, we used the services of a translator. She would try to talk in sign language. The only words in English she could say were single words like ‘water’, ‘hello’, ‘bye’, ‘mineral’, ‘party’, and that too with great difficulty,” said an employee of the hotel where Elena stayed after her arrival in Goa on April 19.
A cop at Calangute police station, where Elena had deposed after she had gone missing on an earlier instance, said, “She could hardly speak in English and we recorded her statement with the help of a translator.”
In his statement to the police, the cab driver said he had dropped Elena at Thivim station at about 3am on May 8 and that she had mentioned that she wanted to go to Mumbai. Police have, however, failed to find any witness who saw her at the station.
Reacting to this, SP (North) Tony Fernandes said, “The inquiry is in progress. We are looking into all aspects of the case.”
Representatives of the tour operator that brought Elena to Goa had got in touch with her family after she went missing. “She was supposed to board a flight to Russia on May 3, but when she went missing we informed her parents in Russia. They too told us she was not responding to calls on her cellphone,” said officials at the agency.
22 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Showing posts with label Elena Sukhonova;Russian tourist;Goa;India;Journalist;Journalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elena Sukhonova;Russian tourist;Goa;India;Journalist;Journalism. Show all posts
Friday, May 22, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Train drivers say they didn't run over Russian girl
Train drivers say they didn't run over Russian girl
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: The drivers of three express trains that passed Thivim railway station on the night of May 8, have told Mapusa police that no train ran
over the Russian girl, Elena Sukhonova. They have, however, not ruled out the possibility of a runover which went unnoticed, said police sources.
Elena's mutilated body was found by a railway gangman at 7.45am, about 3.5 km from Thivim railway station. Police investigations revealed that she was dropped at the station by a yellow cab driver at around 3am.
Speaking to TOI, police sources said that the drivers of Mangala Express which left Thivim railway station at 5.02am, Netravati Express which left at 7.09 am (both proceeding to Mumbai) and Veraval Express which reached the station at 7.35 am (proceeding to Kerala), claimed that they did not see anything on the tracks nor reported any runover or chain pulling incident in their respective trains on May 8.
This has left the police "intrigued". They had initially expressed the possibility of an accidental fall from either Mangala Express or Netravati Express, both bound for Mumbai.
"Elena was travelling with just her handbag, without either her passport nor luggage. Had she fallen out of either Mangala Express or Netravati Express, she would have been found on the tracks by the driver of Hapa Express. But the main loco pilot of Hapa Express said that neither did they see anything nor report any runover," police sources revealed.
The driver told police, sources said, that in the past there had been several cases of people run over by a train, which had been reported to the nearest railway station, but this time they had not seen anything on the tracks. And while the three train drivers maintain that they did not run over any body, they did not rule out the possibility of a runover.
"They said that they may have run over something, but may have not realized or noticed, as they have to manage several things at once. Apart from looking for the signal they also have to maintain a speed of 110km/hr, ensure that the oil pressure and diesel pressure are good and also handle other aspects," police sources said. Each train has one main and one assistant loco pilot. All were grilled for hours by police officers.
"The drivers said that if anything is lying on the tracks it is visible only from 100m. Even if they apply brakes at that distance, the train doesn't immediately halt. It comes to a halt nearly 600m away from where the break is applied. So the possibility of stopping the train to avoid a runover is remote," said police sources.
They further revealed that the drivers told them that in case of a runover, they don't stop the train to check, but rather, they inform the nearest railway station and the railway control room. "They said that for every minute lost, they have to give an explanation," police sources said.
These statements, incidentally, are in contrast to the statement given by the Thivim railway station master, who had said that if a train's driver spots any obstruction on the tracks he stops the train, clears the tracks and then proceeds.
Police also said that the main loco pilot of Mangala Express said that he had not seen anything on the tracks as it was dark and though as per the train standard the train should have had a headlight with visibility up to 240m, the headlight's actual visibility, when it passed through the route on May 8, was only 140m.
Elena was carrying her mobile and police claim that she had even clicked a photograph of a goods wagon passing Thivim railway station a few hours before her death, thus establishing her presence at the railway station at about 3.25am. Police sources added, "This was the last time the mobile was used."
Meanwhile, another waiter, Vir Singh, from Himachal Pradesh, who was asked to quit his job in the hotel at Baga as he was friendly with the Russian girl has arrived in Goa along with his father. He had reportedly left Goa on May 6.
May 18,2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: The drivers of three express trains that passed Thivim railway station on the night of May 8, have told Mapusa police that no train ran
over the Russian girl, Elena Sukhonova. They have, however, not ruled out the possibility of a runover which went unnoticed, said police sources.
Elena's mutilated body was found by a railway gangman at 7.45am, about 3.5 km from Thivim railway station. Police investigations revealed that she was dropped at the station by a yellow cab driver at around 3am.
Speaking to TOI, police sources said that the drivers of Mangala Express which left Thivim railway station at 5.02am, Netravati Express which left at 7.09 am (both proceeding to Mumbai) and Veraval Express which reached the station at 7.35 am (proceeding to Kerala), claimed that they did not see anything on the tracks nor reported any runover or chain pulling incident in their respective trains on May 8.
This has left the police "intrigued". They had initially expressed the possibility of an accidental fall from either Mangala Express or Netravati Express, both bound for Mumbai.
"Elena was travelling with just her handbag, without either her passport nor luggage. Had she fallen out of either Mangala Express or Netravati Express, she would have been found on the tracks by the driver of Hapa Express. But the main loco pilot of Hapa Express said that neither did they see anything nor report any runover," police sources revealed.
The driver told police, sources said, that in the past there had been several cases of people run over by a train, which had been reported to the nearest railway station, but this time they had not seen anything on the tracks. And while the three train drivers maintain that they did not run over any body, they did not rule out the possibility of a runover.
"They said that they may have run over something, but may have not realized or noticed, as they have to manage several things at once. Apart from looking for the signal they also have to maintain a speed of 110km/hr, ensure that the oil pressure and diesel pressure are good and also handle other aspects," police sources said. Each train has one main and one assistant loco pilot. All were grilled for hours by police officers.
"The drivers said that if anything is lying on the tracks it is visible only from 100m. Even if they apply brakes at that distance, the train doesn't immediately halt. It comes to a halt nearly 600m away from where the break is applied. So the possibility of stopping the train to avoid a runover is remote," said police sources.
They further revealed that the drivers told them that in case of a runover, they don't stop the train to check, but rather, they inform the nearest railway station and the railway control room. "They said that for every minute lost, they have to give an explanation," police sources said.
These statements, incidentally, are in contrast to the statement given by the Thivim railway station master, who had said that if a train's driver spots any obstruction on the tracks he stops the train, clears the tracks and then proceeds.
Police also said that the main loco pilot of Mangala Express said that he had not seen anything on the tracks as it was dark and though as per the train standard the train should have had a headlight with visibility up to 240m, the headlight's actual visibility, when it passed through the route on May 8, was only 140m.
Elena was carrying her mobile and police claim that she had even clicked a photograph of a goods wagon passing Thivim railway station a few hours before her death, thus establishing her presence at the railway station at about 3.25am. Police sources added, "This was the last time the mobile was used."
Meanwhile, another waiter, Vir Singh, from Himachal Pradesh, who was asked to quit his job in the hotel at Baga as he was friendly with the Russian girl has arrived in Goa along with his father. He had reportedly left Goa on May 6.
May 18,2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Rail men split over Elena's death
Rail men split over Elena's death
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Konkan railway officials appear to be divided over the manner in which Elena Sukhonova, 19, could have died. The Russian teenager’s mutilated body was found on the railway tracks about 3.5 km north of Thivim station on May 8.
While KRC PRO Baban Ghatge, says that in his six years of service as PRO he has never seen anyone fall from the train onto the tracks, two ticket checkers told the police this was possible. Ghatge, was called by the cops after he disputed their theory that Elena could have fallen from the train and come under the wheels of the train.
“It is my opinion that if someone falls from the train, they will fall away from the tracks and not on the tracks. This statement is based on six years of experience with the KRC,” said Ghatge.
Two ticket collectors, however, dispute this. “We have recorded the statements of two ticket checkers who told us that there have been cases wherein passengers falling from trains have fallen on the tracks,” said a senior police official.
Backing his theory, Ghatge said, “We have come across several cases of people falling from running trains, but no one was dragged onto the tracks. I have also discussed the matter with the Railway Protection Force (RPF).” Ghatge admitted that he has not visited the spot where the Russian’s body was found.
The Konkan railway official reiterated that his statements to the media were not in his official capacity but his personal opinion. He said that KRC has no official comment to issue in the case. “Our only official statement is that the police are investigating the case and they should be allowed to carry out the investigations,” said Ghatge.
He also said that not a single foreigner purchased a ticket from Thivim station during the early hours of May 8. “We have also submitted a list of reserved passengers to the police and Elena’s name doesn’t figure in it,” he added.
Meanwhile, the sessions court rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by Vishant Kundaikar, owner of the O’Pinhal Buckingham Shack on Calangute beach.
16 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Konkan railway officials appear to be divided over the manner in which Elena Sukhonova, 19, could have died. The Russian teenager’s mutilated body was found on the railway tracks about 3.5 km north of Thivim station on May 8.
While KRC PRO Baban Ghatge, says that in his six years of service as PRO he has never seen anyone fall from the train onto the tracks, two ticket checkers told the police this was possible. Ghatge, was called by the cops after he disputed their theory that Elena could have fallen from the train and come under the wheels of the train.
“It is my opinion that if someone falls from the train, they will fall away from the tracks and not on the tracks. This statement is based on six years of experience with the KRC,” said Ghatge.
Two ticket collectors, however, dispute this. “We have recorded the statements of two ticket checkers who told us that there have been cases wherein passengers falling from trains have fallen on the tracks,” said a senior police official.
Backing his theory, Ghatge said, “We have come across several cases of people falling from running trains, but no one was dragged onto the tracks. I have also discussed the matter with the Railway Protection Force (RPF).” Ghatge admitted that he has not visited the spot where the Russian’s body was found.
The Konkan railway official reiterated that his statements to the media were not in his official capacity but his personal opinion. He said that KRC has no official comment to issue in the case. “Our only official statement is that the police are investigating the case and they should be allowed to carry out the investigations,” said Ghatge.
He also said that not a single foreigner purchased a ticket from Thivim station during the early hours of May 8. “We have also submitted a list of reserved passengers to the police and Elena’s name doesn’t figure in it,” he added.
Meanwhile, the sessions court rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by Vishant Kundaikar, owner of the O’Pinhal Buckingham Shack on Calangute beach.
16 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Russian girl's death: Cops give 4 theories
Russian girl's death: Cops give 4 theories
Preetu Nair, TNN
Mystery deepens
While a shack owner filed for anticipatory bail; KRC officials said no driver reported a run over. On Wednesday, the mystery of the Russian girl’s mutilated body found on railway tracks close to Thivim station left a baffled police force looking at four possibilities. Preetu Nair reports
A shack owner has filed for anticipatory bail fearing arrest for the death of Elena Sukhonova, a 19-year-old Russian whose mutilated body was found on railway tracks about 3.5 km north of Thivim station.
Vishant Kundaikar, owner of the O’Pinhal Buckingham Shack on Calangute beach, in his anticipatory bail application before the Sessions Court in Panaji, said, "The police are bent upon arresting the applicant and detaining him in police custody. The applicant has not committed any offence in connection with the case of the death of the Russian lady."
Police sources told TOI that Vishant’s presence "is required for questioning" since, during investigations, they learnt that the shack owner, also called Vinnie, was friendly with Elena.
Vishant however, denied this, "I am not called Vinnie nor was I friendly with the girl. I must have met her once or twice when she came to my shack. She was friendly with Vinay, who is called Vinnie, who was working as a waiter in my shack."
The Russian, who had gone missing on an earlier instance, had deposed before the Calangute police then and said that she was touring with Vinnie and was in love with him.
"Police have registered it as a case of unnatural death. When it is a case of unnatural death, then under section 174 read with section 175 of CrPC, a person can only be called for verifying the condition of the body and not for interrogation, nor can he be detained as contemplated in a crime case," explained Kundaikar’s counsel Ranjit Satardekar.
Meanwhile, Konkan railway officials, who have already ruled out the police theory that Elena must have fallen or been pushed out of a moving train, now claim that a train may not even have run over her on the tracks. This despite the fact that the post-mortem report states that she died "as a result of blunt force impact by an object or surface consequent to being run over by a railway rolling stock".
Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) PRO, Baban Ghatge, told TOI, "If there is a train run over, then the train driver has to report the matter to the next station. Nothing has been reported either by the train driver of Netravati Express or the Mandovi Express that followed it. Even the train driver of Veraval Express (which ran between 7.15am and 7.20am on the spot where the body was found), coming from Gujarat, didn’t report seeing anything on the tracks or of running over."
Tracing the sequence of events, Ghatge recounted that the body was first spotted on the tracks at 7.45am by a railway gangman, who immediately informed the station master. The gangman was then asked to clear the route for the Madgaon-Divar passenger and he therefore moved the body from the tracks. The train subsequently, departed from Thivim station at 8.15am. "Rules are very clear for the drivers. If they see anything or a train hits something on the tracks, they have to report the matter," stressed Ghatge.
With Konkan railway authorities thus ruling out an accident or even a run over, the police now, have had to change tracks. "There may have been a slip. We have now sent a team to Ratnagiri to question the train drivers who were plying on the route on the night of May 8," police sources told TOI.
The men in khaki are also looking at four possibilities of how the Russian’s body may have landed on the tracks:
Possibility 1 — Fall from train
She might have travelled either on the Mangala Express which left Thivim station at 5.02am or the Netravati Express which left at 7.09am and "somehow fallen from the train while she was travelling" to Mumbai, said police sources.
Police view:
Investigations have revealed that Elena was dropped at Thivim railway station by a yellow taxi at about 3am on May 8. In his statement to the police, the driver has said that she told him that she wanted to go to Mumbai. This is substantiated by other taxi drivers outside a night club in Baga where she was till 3am. Moreover, another taxi driver, Venkatesh, also told police that she had called him on his cellphone, from the night club, between 11.30pm and midnight and had asked for a taxi as she wanted to board a train. Venkatesh told police that he refused to oblige as he was asleep.
Gaps:
Konkan railway authorities say that people falling from a train will not come directly under the wheels because of the steps below the door. Moreover, if a person were hanging from the handles near the door, given that the train moves in a forward direction, the person’s legs would come under the wheels and be severed. The head and hands would not get cut, explained Ghatge.
KRC officials also insist that Elena didn’t have railway tickets. Moreover, she had not told her group of Russian friends or those whose statements the police have recorded, apart from the taxi drivers, that she was going to Mumbai. Her passport and luggage were still at the guest-house in Baga. And no one saw her at Thivim railway station.
Possibility 2 — Left to die
She is put on the tracks in an unconscious state by someone. This possibility crops up from the fact that there is a narrow dirt road that leads close to the railway tracks, a few meters from where Elena’s body was found.
Police view:
Investigations are on.
Gaps:
Four trains passed between Thivim and Pernem stations between 3am to 7.45am on May 8. While a goods train passed at 3.35am, Mangla Express left Thivim station at 5.02am, Netravati Express left the station at 7.09am as did Veraval Express at 7.35am. None of the drivers spotted the body nor did anyone report a run over.
Possibility 3 — Drunk and fallen
She is drunk and in an unstable condition. She walks down the tracks from Thivim railway station, collapses on the tracks and is run over by a train.
Police view:
Investigations on, but probability low.
Gaps:
None of the train drivers reported a run over. Besides, with no space to walk, Elena would have had to walk on the tracks, which would have been very difficult to do in the dark.
Possibility 4 — Mutilated elsewhere, dumped on the tracks
Someone placed her mutilated body on the tracks between 7.20am (after Hapa Express left) and 7.45am (when the body was first spotted).
Police view:
This possibility is ruled out as the post-mortem report is clear that Elena’s 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 being run over by a railway rolling stock". Rolling stock is the collective term that describes all items that move on a rail track, inclusive of both powered and unpowered vehicles
Gaps:
Konkan railway authorities insist that no accident nor run over was reported.
14 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
Mystery deepens
While a shack owner filed for anticipatory bail; KRC officials said no driver reported a run over. On Wednesday, the mystery of the Russian girl’s mutilated body found on railway tracks close to Thivim station left a baffled police force looking at four possibilities. Preetu Nair reports
A shack owner has filed for anticipatory bail fearing arrest for the death of Elena Sukhonova, a 19-year-old Russian whose mutilated body was found on railway tracks about 3.5 km north of Thivim station.
Vishant Kundaikar, owner of the O’Pinhal Buckingham Shack on Calangute beach, in his anticipatory bail application before the Sessions Court in Panaji, said, "The police are bent upon arresting the applicant and detaining him in police custody. The applicant has not committed any offence in connection with the case of the death of the Russian lady."
Police sources told TOI that Vishant’s presence "is required for questioning" since, during investigations, they learnt that the shack owner, also called Vinnie, was friendly with Elena.
Vishant however, denied this, "I am not called Vinnie nor was I friendly with the girl. I must have met her once or twice when she came to my shack. She was friendly with Vinay, who is called Vinnie, who was working as a waiter in my shack."
The Russian, who had gone missing on an earlier instance, had deposed before the Calangute police then and said that she was touring with Vinnie and was in love with him.
"Police have registered it as a case of unnatural death. When it is a case of unnatural death, then under section 174 read with section 175 of CrPC, a person can only be called for verifying the condition of the body and not for interrogation, nor can he be detained as contemplated in a crime case," explained Kundaikar’s counsel Ranjit Satardekar.
Meanwhile, Konkan railway officials, who have already ruled out the police theory that Elena must have fallen or been pushed out of a moving train, now claim that a train may not even have run over her on the tracks. This despite the fact that the post-mortem report states that she died "as a result of blunt force impact by an object or surface consequent to being run over by a railway rolling stock".
Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) PRO, Baban Ghatge, told TOI, "If there is a train run over, then the train driver has to report the matter to the next station. Nothing has been reported either by the train driver of Netravati Express or the Mandovi Express that followed it. Even the train driver of Veraval Express (which ran between 7.15am and 7.20am on the spot where the body was found), coming from Gujarat, didn’t report seeing anything on the tracks or of running over."
Tracing the sequence of events, Ghatge recounted that the body was first spotted on the tracks at 7.45am by a railway gangman, who immediately informed the station master. The gangman was then asked to clear the route for the Madgaon-Divar passenger and he therefore moved the body from the tracks. The train subsequently, departed from Thivim station at 8.15am. "Rules are very clear for the drivers. If they see anything or a train hits something on the tracks, they have to report the matter," stressed Ghatge.
With Konkan railway authorities thus ruling out an accident or even a run over, the police now, have had to change tracks. "There may have been a slip. We have now sent a team to Ratnagiri to question the train drivers who were plying on the route on the night of May 8," police sources told TOI.
The men in khaki are also looking at four possibilities of how the Russian’s body may have landed on the tracks:
Possibility 1 — Fall from train
She might have travelled either on the Mangala Express which left Thivim station at 5.02am or the Netravati Express which left at 7.09am and "somehow fallen from the train while she was travelling" to Mumbai, said police sources.
Police view:
Investigations have revealed that Elena was dropped at Thivim railway station by a yellow taxi at about 3am on May 8. In his statement to the police, the driver has said that she told him that she wanted to go to Mumbai. This is substantiated by other taxi drivers outside a night club in Baga where she was till 3am. Moreover, another taxi driver, Venkatesh, also told police that she had called him on his cellphone, from the night club, between 11.30pm and midnight and had asked for a taxi as she wanted to board a train. Venkatesh told police that he refused to oblige as he was asleep.
Gaps:
Konkan railway authorities say that people falling from a train will not come directly under the wheels because of the steps below the door. Moreover, if a person were hanging from the handles near the door, given that the train moves in a forward direction, the person’s legs would come under the wheels and be severed. The head and hands would not get cut, explained Ghatge.
KRC officials also insist that Elena didn’t have railway tickets. Moreover, she had not told her group of Russian friends or those whose statements the police have recorded, apart from the taxi drivers, that she was going to Mumbai. Her passport and luggage were still at the guest-house in Baga. And no one saw her at Thivim railway station.
Possibility 2 — Left to die
She is put on the tracks in an unconscious state by someone. This possibility crops up from the fact that there is a narrow dirt road that leads close to the railway tracks, a few meters from where Elena’s body was found.
Police view:
Investigations are on.
Gaps:
Four trains passed between Thivim and Pernem stations between 3am to 7.45am on May 8. While a goods train passed at 3.35am, Mangla Express left Thivim station at 5.02am, Netravati Express left the station at 7.09am as did Veraval Express at 7.35am. None of the drivers spotted the body nor did anyone report a run over.
Possibility 3 — Drunk and fallen
She is drunk and in an unstable condition. She walks down the tracks from Thivim railway station, collapses on the tracks and is run over by a train.
Police view:
Investigations on, but probability low.
Gaps:
None of the train drivers reported a run over. Besides, with no space to walk, Elena would have had to walk on the tracks, which would have been very difficult to do in the dark.
Possibility 4 — Mutilated elsewhere, dumped on the tracks
Someone placed her mutilated body on the tracks between 7.20am (after Hapa Express left) and 7.45am (when the body was first spotted).
Police view:
This possibility is ruled out as the post-mortem report is clear that Elena’s 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 being run over by a railway rolling stock". Rolling stock is the collective term that describes all items that move on a rail track, inclusive of both powered and unpowered vehicles
Gaps:
Konkan railway authorities insist that no accident nor run over was reported.
14 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Russian girl's death: Cops give 4 theories
Russian girl's death: Cops give 4 theories
Preetu Nair,TNN
PANAJI: While a shack owner has sought anticipatory bail in connection with the death of Elena Sukhanova, 19, whose body was found on the railway tracks in North Goa, police are looking at four different ways in which her death could have occurred.
Police seek to question Vishant Kundaikar claiming he is called Vinnie and was friendly with Elena. Vishant denied this.
The police are looking at four ways in which Elena could have died and these include Elena falling from the train, her being left unconscious on the tracks, her having been drunk and falling on the tracks, and of her being killed elsewhere and dumped on the tracks.
Article appeared on 14 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
For more read The Times of India, Goa edition Page 2
Preetu Nair,TNN
PANAJI: While a shack owner has sought anticipatory bail in connection with the death of Elena Sukhanova, 19, whose body was found on the railway tracks in North Goa, police are looking at four different ways in which her death could have occurred.
Police seek to question Vishant Kundaikar claiming he is called Vinnie and was friendly with Elena. Vishant denied this.
The police are looking at four ways in which Elena could have died and these include Elena falling from the train, her being left unconscious on the tracks, her having been drunk and falling on the tracks, and of her being killed elsewhere and dumped on the tracks.
Article appeared on 14 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
For more read The Times of India, Goa edition Page 2
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Russian teenager's death: Cops quiz waiter
Russian teenager's death: Cops quiz waiter
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Police on Tuesday questioned Vinay Haldankar alias Vinny a shack waiter, reportedly close to Russian teenager Elena Sukhnova, 19, whose
mutilated body was found on the railway tracks about 3.5 kms north of Thivim on Friday.
Vinay was missing since Elena's death and was picked up on Tuesday morning from Calangute. Elena, who had gone missing on an earlier instance, had told the Calangute police that she had been touring with Vinay and was in love with him.
"He is being interrogated along with two others. We neither concede nor rule out his involvement in the crime," a senior police official stated.
Police are also on the look out for another waiter, Vir Singh, from Himachal Pradesh, who was asked to quit his job as he was friendly with Elena. He had reportedly left Goa on May 6.
13 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Police on Tuesday questioned Vinay Haldankar alias Vinny a shack waiter, reportedly close to Russian teenager Elena Sukhnova, 19, whose
mutilated body was found on the railway tracks about 3.5 kms north of Thivim on Friday.
Vinay was missing since Elena's death and was picked up on Tuesday morning from Calangute. Elena, who had gone missing on an earlier instance, had told the Calangute police that she had been touring with Vinay and was in love with him.
"He is being interrogated along with two others. We neither concede nor rule out his involvement in the crime," a senior police official stated.
Police are also on the look out for another waiter, Vir Singh, from Himachal Pradesh, who was asked to quit his job as he was friendly with Elena. He had reportedly left Goa on May 6.
13 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Russian consulate shoots letter to CM
Russian consulate shoots letter to CM
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: With mystery continuing to surround the death of Russian teenager Elena Sukhonova, whose mutilated body was found on railway tracks in the state on Friday morning, the Russian authorities have now written to chief minister Digambar Kamat to "take the course of investigation under your personal control".
In his letter to the chief minister dated May 11, consul general Alexander V Mantytsky from the Russian consultate in Mumbai said that the case has already drawn the attention of official authorities in Russia as well as that of Russian nationals in Russia and India.
"The consul general requests your excellency to take the course of investigation under your personal control and give instructions to carry out investigation at the earliest and keep the consul general well-informed on the above matter," the letter added.
Vikram Varma, the advocate authorized by the Russian consul general to take necessary action in connection with the investigation of the unnatural death of the 19-year-old Elena Sukhonova, while speaking to TOI said, "The Russian authorities are concerned about the death of Sukhonova. The matter is being monitored at the highest level by Russian authorities at Mumbai and also at Delhi."
"Having visited the scene where Sukhonova's mutilated body was found, the accident theory doesn't seem conclusive.
"There are some unanswered questions that we have raised with the investigating team and we indeed have confidence that the investigating team will look into it"," Varma said.
However, the lawyer refused to elaborate on what exactly the unaswered questions were.
The Russian authorities, who had also made a request with the superintendent of police (North) on April 9 for the deceased Sukhonova's passport and other identity documents, panchanama, photographs of the deceased, besides a copy of the first information report (FIR) and the postmortem report are still awaiting the same from the police.
13 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: With mystery continuing to surround the death of Russian teenager Elena Sukhonova, whose mutilated body was found on railway tracks in the state on Friday morning, the Russian authorities have now written to chief minister Digambar Kamat to "take the course of investigation under your personal control".
In his letter to the chief minister dated May 11, consul general Alexander V Mantytsky from the Russian consultate in Mumbai said that the case has already drawn the attention of official authorities in Russia as well as that of Russian nationals in Russia and India.
"The consul general requests your excellency to take the course of investigation under your personal control and give instructions to carry out investigation at the earliest and keep the consul general well-informed on the above matter," the letter added.
Vikram Varma, the advocate authorized by the Russian consul general to take necessary action in connection with the investigation of the unnatural death of the 19-year-old Elena Sukhonova, while speaking to TOI said, "The Russian authorities are concerned about the death of Sukhonova. The matter is being monitored at the highest level by Russian authorities at Mumbai and also at Delhi."
"Having visited the scene where Sukhonova's mutilated body was found, the accident theory doesn't seem conclusive.
"There are some unanswered questions that we have raised with the investigating team and we indeed have confidence that the investigating team will look into it"," Varma said.
However, the lawyer refused to elaborate on what exactly the unaswered questions were.
The Russian authorities, who had also made a request with the superintendent of police (North) on April 9 for the deceased Sukhonova's passport and other identity documents, panchanama, photographs of the deceased, besides a copy of the first information report (FIR) and the postmortem report are still awaiting the same from the police.
13 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Monday, May 11, 2009
Now, love angle to Russian girl's death
Now, love angle to Russian girl's death
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: The 19-year-old Russian girl, whose mutilated body was found on the railway tracks in Goa, didn’t want to leave the state as she had
fallen in love.
Police sources told TOI that Elena Sukhonova had said this in a statement to the cops on May 6. According to the statement, Elena was in love with a boy named Vinay alias Vinny, working as a waiter at a shack on the Baga beach.
However, when told of this, the shack owner expressed surprise. He said, “Vinay left the job a month and a half back. He used to come to meet us sometimes. The girl must have come to the shack twice but I don’t think they were in love.” Elena’s body was found by railway gangmen at around 7.45 am on Friday about 3.5 kms north of Thivim railway station.
Elena’s statement was recorded by the Calangute police after the general manager of a hotel at Baga-Calangute had lodged a missing complaint on May 5 stating that Elena, whose tourist visa was to expire on July 1, 2009, and staying in the hotel and had gone missing from around 2 am on May 3.
In the complaint, the resort’s GM also said the Russian teenager had checked into the hotel on April 19 and was to check out on May 3. But on the day of the departure, she was not in the room, though her luggage and ticket were there. Elena, the GM said, had disappeared with the room key.
The hotel GM told TOI, “A hotel security guard spotted her early morning at 1.30 am on May 6 near our resort. We persuaded her to come to the hotel and also informed the police. She told the police that she was staying in a guest house. We asked her to return the room key and the police asked her to stay in our resort and recorded her statement, after which she left.”
The resort staff said that the teenager loved to party late at night. She had also dated a 22-year-old waiter from Himachal Pradesh, Bir Singh. However, when the hotel authorities came to know about it on April 24, Bir was asked to resign. “Bir left Goa on May 6 and is now at Himachal Pradesh,” police sources said.
Meanwhile, the police refused to comment on the mutilated body, citing the election code of conduct.
A post-mortem is expected to be conducted soon. “We are waiting for a representative from the Russian consulate to come,” said a doctor from the Goa medical college and hospital.
KR officials refute cops’ argument
Later in an “appeal” released to the media, the police said, “Investigation revealed that she was dropped at Thivim railway station by a yellow cab at about 3 am on May 8 and she had mentioned to the driver that she wanted to go to Mumbai. From available evidence it appears that she might have travelled either on Mangala Express which left Thivim at 5.02 am or Netravati Express which left at 7.09 am and ‘somehow fallen from the train while she was travelling’.”
However, the police argument of Elena having fallen from the train is disputed by Konkan Railway officials. A railway engineer said, “A person falling on the tracks from a running train and getting killed is next to impossible. If a person slips and falls from the train the body gets entangled in the wheel and then can be pushed into the tracks, but this is rare. Generally a person who slips or is pushed falls away from the tracks and not on the tracks.”
Calangute police sources also said that in her statement, Elena said that after leaving the resort she went to Anjuna and was staying at another place. However, according to the guest house register and its staff Elena checked into the hotel room at 8 pm on May 6 and was to check out at 10 am on May 8. She had also paid the rent for two days in Indian currency.
The guest house staff added, “On May 7 at 10 pm she left with a handbag and kept her luggage in the room. She also took the room key with her.” Police sources said that later she was spotted at a popular night club in Baga till the wee hours of May 8 and she was there with a 39-year-old Russian
May 11,2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: The 19-year-old Russian girl, whose mutilated body was found on the railway tracks in Goa, didn’t want to leave the state as she had
fallen in love.
Police sources told TOI that Elena Sukhonova had said this in a statement to the cops on May 6. According to the statement, Elena was in love with a boy named Vinay alias Vinny, working as a waiter at a shack on the Baga beach.
However, when told of this, the shack owner expressed surprise. He said, “Vinay left the job a month and a half back. He used to come to meet us sometimes. The girl must have come to the shack twice but I don’t think they were in love.” Elena’s body was found by railway gangmen at around 7.45 am on Friday about 3.5 kms north of Thivim railway station.
Elena’s statement was recorded by the Calangute police after the general manager of a hotel at Baga-Calangute had lodged a missing complaint on May 5 stating that Elena, whose tourist visa was to expire on July 1, 2009, and staying in the hotel and had gone missing from around 2 am on May 3.
In the complaint, the resort’s GM also said the Russian teenager had checked into the hotel on April 19 and was to check out on May 3. But on the day of the departure, she was not in the room, though her luggage and ticket were there. Elena, the GM said, had disappeared with the room key.
The hotel GM told TOI, “A hotel security guard spotted her early morning at 1.30 am on May 6 near our resort. We persuaded her to come to the hotel and also informed the police. She told the police that she was staying in a guest house. We asked her to return the room key and the police asked her to stay in our resort and recorded her statement, after which she left.”
The resort staff said that the teenager loved to party late at night. She had also dated a 22-year-old waiter from Himachal Pradesh, Bir Singh. However, when the hotel authorities came to know about it on April 24, Bir was asked to resign. “Bir left Goa on May 6 and is now at Himachal Pradesh,” police sources said.
Meanwhile, the police refused to comment on the mutilated body, citing the election code of conduct.
A post-mortem is expected to be conducted soon. “We are waiting for a representative from the Russian consulate to come,” said a doctor from the Goa medical college and hospital.
KR officials refute cops’ argument
Later in an “appeal” released to the media, the police said, “Investigation revealed that she was dropped at Thivim railway station by a yellow cab at about 3 am on May 8 and she had mentioned to the driver that she wanted to go to Mumbai. From available evidence it appears that she might have travelled either on Mangala Express which left Thivim at 5.02 am or Netravati Express which left at 7.09 am and ‘somehow fallen from the train while she was travelling’.”
However, the police argument of Elena having fallen from the train is disputed by Konkan Railway officials. A railway engineer said, “A person falling on the tracks from a running train and getting killed is next to impossible. If a person slips and falls from the train the body gets entangled in the wheel and then can be pushed into the tracks, but this is rare. Generally a person who slips or is pushed falls away from the tracks and not on the tracks.”
Calangute police sources also said that in her statement, Elena said that after leaving the resort she went to Anjuna and was staying at another place. However, according to the guest house register and its staff Elena checked into the hotel room at 8 pm on May 6 and was to check out at 10 am on May 8. She had also paid the rent for two days in Indian currency.
The guest house staff added, “On May 7 at 10 pm she left with a handbag and kept her luggage in the room. She also took the room key with her.” Police sources said that later she was spotted at a popular night club in Baga till the wee hours of May 8 and she was there with a 39-year-old Russian
May 11,2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
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