The post mortem report of the 60-year-old tourist from New Delhi, Virendra Kumar (60), whose body was found in room no. 209 of Hotel Swapna at Patto-Panaji on the morning of June 20, has confirmed murder.
However, unlike what the prima facie evidence suggested, Kumar wasn't killed using a sharp weapon, but was strangulated, smothered or suffocated to death.
"Violent asphyxia as a result of combined effect of manual and soft ligature smothering was antemortem fresh and necessarily fatal," reads the post mortem report.
Such injuries are usually offered as evidence of violent compression or constriction of the neck.
While Kumar's family has yet to arrive, they communicated their consent to Panaji police and the post mortem on Kumar's body was accordingly conducted on Tuesday at Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, where his body was preserved.
It may be recalled that the incident came to light after the owner of Swapna Hotel, Suresh Naik Chopdekar, informed the police that a dead body had been found in room No. 209 of his hotel.
Police rushed to the spot and after conducting a panchanama registered a case under Section 302 (murder) read with 34 of IPC against four unknown accused, of whom three are males and one is a female.
According to preliminary inquiry, the police found that Kumar along with four others in the age group of 20-30 years checked in at Swapna Hotel at around 6.30 pm on June 19. The offence took place on the intervening night of June 19 and 20.
The four accused fled after murdering Kumar and are presently untraceable.
"It appears that the deceased was murdered using a sharp weapon following which the four others fled the scene. A case was registered at 9.30 am," said a police officer in-charge.
Police have recovered the CCTV footage from the hotel. However, the footage is grainy and the faces of the accused cannot be ascertained.
Panaji police have yet to receive a response from North Goa Collector after a letter was sent to his office informing of procedural lapses on behalf of the owner in registering the guests.
