MAPUSA
Even as the main suspect in the chilling double murder at Saligao remains elusive four days after the crime, disturbing details from the autopsy report have revealed the sheer brutality of the attack on the two victims “ local music shop owner Rechard D’Mello and his assistant Sonu Singh.
According to sources privy to the autopsy findings, both victims were found to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of their deaths “ suggesting they may have been caught off guard or incapacitated before being killed.
The report indicates that the assailant first rendered the victims unconscious through heavy blows before inflicting deep, fatal cuts on their necks with a sharp weapon, believed to be a knife.
D’Mello suffered two deep gashes on his neck after being struck on the head with a blunt object, while Singh sustained multiple facial injuries, including a smashed nose, before a single slash to his neck ended his life.
“The pattern of injuries suggests the victims were overpowered quickly and killed methodically. The entire act could have taken no more than 15 to 30 minutes,” a source told The Goan on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the Goa Police have stepped up the manhunt for the prime suspect, who has been identified but remains at large.
Police confirmed that the accused is a non-Goan, apparently the second assistant employed at the shop, and multiple teams have been dispatched across State borders to trace his movements.
“We have identified the accused and are closing in. The case is at a crucial juncture, and revealing operational details could compromise the pursuit,” a senior police officer involved in the investigation said.
He added that the suspect is believed to have fled the State within hours of the murder, and efforts are being made in coordination with neighbouring police units to track him down.
Police are yet to pin down the exact motive behind the murders, which have left both locals and law enforcement baffled.
Police sources said no major theft or robbery appears to have taken place at the shop, Music World, located at the Saligao market complex, where D’Mello ran his business.
“The motive remains perplexing “ this doesn’t look like a robbery gone wrong. We are exploring personal and financial angles, but so far nothing conclusive has emerged,” a police source said.
The bodies of D’Mello and Singh were discovered last Thursday morning. Their deaths have sent shockwaves among residents in Saligao and around the State.
For now, the mystery continues to haunt Saligao “ a crime that was both swift and savage, and a killer still on the run.
