CANACONA
Barely hours after two sisters were found brutally murdered in Ponda, the State was rocked by news of yet another murder when a 35-year-old woman was allegedly shot dead by her husband at their house in Agonda late Saturday evening.
According to sources, Sonia Monteiro was allegedly shot at point-blank range by her husband Alfred Pereira, as she was entering the gate of their house.
Sonia reportedly collapsed at the gate and was struggling for life, while her mother, who has been staying with Sonia and her family, raised an alarm. Sonia was then lifted in their vehicle and was rushed to the Canacona Community Health Centre, where a doctor on duty declared her dead on arrival.
Sources said the incident took place at about 8.45 pm as Sonia, who reportedly began to work a month ago, was returning home. She was allegedly shot by her husband with a country-made pistol at the gate.
Sonia’s mother and Sonia’s daughter rushed out of their house and saw Sonia with a wound on her abdomen.
Alfred’s daughter and his mother-in-law tried to stop him from starting his motorcycle, but he managed to run away from the site.
The accused is then reported to have rushed to a house in the neighbourhood, where he borrowed a scooter on the pretext that his motorcycle had broken down and proceeded to the Canacona police station.
Sources said the daughter then received a call from her father to enquire if her mother was alive or dead and on enquiry said he was at the police station and was surrendering himself to the police.
In the meanwhile, a police team from the Agonda police outpost had already rushed to the house and confirmed that the accused was at the Canacona Police Station.
According to reports, he reportedly confessed to the murder and Canacona police took him into custody.
Police investigations into the case have revealed that the country-made pistol was allegedly obtained by the accused from somewhere in Karnataka a few years ago. The accused handed over the pistol to the police when he surrendered himself.
Deputy Speaker and Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes rushed to the house late Saturday night on learning of the incident and to take stock of the situation, while the Canacona police inspector was also at the house as police investigations were in progress.
