Perfumer killer left home after theft charge

Gurdeep Singh Mann

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Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 13

Raj Kumar, alias Raju (21), accused of raping and murdering celebrity perfumer Monika Ghurde in Goa, went missing following the charge of mobile theft three-and-a-half-years ago.

A former security guard at the Sapna Raj Valley apartment complex in Sangolda, Goa, Raju allegedly killed Ghurde on October 5 and was arrested on October 12 from Bengaluru.

Villagers said they failed to trace him even after lodging a missing report at the Dabwali police station of Haryana.

“He belonged to a lower-caste poor family of labourers in our village and was residing with his maternal relatives in Sakera Khera village of Dabwali in Haryana. He was sent there in 2012 to get admission in Class XII along with another close relative,” said Malkana village sarpanch Gulzar Singh.

He said a day before his arrest, the Goa police with the help of the Bathinda Police enquired about any link of Raju with village boys and his family.

“We told the police that his parents and a younger brother have no criminal record and none of his family members were in touch with him ever since he went missing,” the sarpanch added.

He pointed out that the accused used to call up some youths of the village to share his experiences in Mumbai and Goa but these boys never informed the family members about the calls.

Raju fled from his maternal relative’s village after he and his close relative were accused of stealing a cell phone by another youth. “Initially they denied having stealing the phone, but later escaped to Delhi. While the other boy returned from the Delhi railway station, Raju went to Mumbai,” the village sarpanch said.

He added that Raju did menial jobs at the residence of a colonel in Mumbai but left the job after quarrelling with him. He then went to Goa and brought shame to their village.

Being a security guard, he helped Ghurde find a flat on rent. He was, however, caught with a stolen umbrella of Ghurde and the woman’s complaint led to deduction of his two months’ salary — Rs 20,000. He failed to get any other job due to the theft complaint.

During interrogation, he claimed of pleading twice to Ghurde but she refused to withdraw the complaint. He then decided to take revenge and killed her.