Captured by : Local murders his two minor children, brutally assaults his Belarusian wife in Candolim
CRIME AT CANDOLIM
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MAPUSA: In a gruesome incident, a man from Candolim strangulated his two minor children and seriously wounded his Belarusian wife at their house in Candolim in the wee hours of Saturday.
The man, identified as Philip Fernandes (42) of Annawada-Candolim, later surrendered before the Calangute police.
According to Calangute police, Fernandes rushed into the Calangute police station at about 7.45 am Saturday, stating that he had strangulated his son Elijah (7) and daughter Katherine (3), besides brutally assaulting his wife, Swetlana (34) with an iron rod on her head.
According to sources, the accused had first assaulted his wife with a rod and later murdered his two children. Fernandes then took his bike, went to a hospital and later surrendered at the police station, where he narrated the incident to the police.
A police team headed by PI Tushar Vernekar and PSI Nitin Halrankar, rushed to the site and found the lifeless bodies of the two children and the unconscious woman on the bed.
The police immediately rushed the critically injured wife to the GMC hospital at Bambolim and after an inquest, sent the bodies of the two children to the GMC hospital for an autopsy.
According to sources, Fernandes had married Swetlana, a Belarus national, about nine years ago. Fernandes is a native of Calangute, but was residing along with his family at Candolim and had been managing a small guest house.
Later, North Goa SP Umesh Goankar also visited the site to take stock of the police investigations, while police sniffer dogs were also pressed into service to obtain further clues.
The police was unable to immediately ascertain the motive behind the murder, as the accused is believed to be mentally unstable.
The police later arrested the accused under Sections 302, 307 and 326 of IPC and also under Section 8 of the Children's Act. Calangute PI Tushar Vernekar is investigating the case.
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MURDER MOST GRUESOME
SATURDAY 7.45 AM
Philip Fernandes rushes in to surrender before the police
THE ALLEGED CRIME
Strangulating two minor children and brutally assaulting his wife
SCENE AT THE SITE
Police find the bodies of the two children and the unconscious woman
A BELARUSIAN WIFE
Fernandes had married Swetlana, a Belarus national, about nine years ago
WHY DID HE KILL?
The motive is unknown as the accused is believed to be mentally unstable
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WAS HE MENTALLY DISTURBED?
THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA: The accused father, who murdered his two kids and then brutally assaulted his Belarusian wife, may have been mentally disturbed.
Sources in the police said that the accused, Philip Fernandes (42) of Annawada-Candolim, was taking treatment for a psychiatric disorder.
After committing the offence in the wee hours of Saturday, Fernandes went to the Candolim Primary Health Centre and took medication for his disorder. He then proceeded to the Calangute Police Station and confessed to his crime, police sources said.
In fact, the police initially refused to believe him, but later decided to investigate.
A neigbour told The Goan that the accused was a loner and would not be seen much in company with others.
“He used to sit in the bar and drink alone,” the neighbour disclosed.
However, many in the neighbourhood know the family as a peaceful one.
“The wife is a very nice lady and both the kids were smart and very sweet. They used to mix around with other local children,” recalled local panch member, Estrela Mascarenchas.
“In fact, the father was very fond of both children. He used to bring them around for local events. We find it very difficult to believe that he has murdered his children,” she added
Another neighbour in the know disclosed that the accused used to ill-treat the wife and beat her up quite often.
“A year ago, the wife along with the children had left Goa to her country, Belarus, after a fight with the husband. She was away for more than six months,” a prominent Candolim resident disclosed.
“The husband later spoke to her on the phone and persuaded her to return to Goa,” the resident said.
According to local Sarpanch, Sandra Fiola, the family was quite a decent family not to interfere with anyone.
“The little that I know of them is that they were a decent family. They wouldn’t get involved with anyone. The dastardly incident has, however, shocked us,” Fiola said.
