A local court on Tuesday remanded Singh, a native of Punjab’s Bathinda, to seven days police custody, reports The Indian Express. 

Goa DIG Vimal Gupta on Tuesday confirmed that the accused had systematically planned the murder and hid at the terrace of Ghurde’s housing complex for two days before breaking into her house, raping and killing her. The police was earlier suspecting it to be accidental. 

What exactly happened?

As per The Hindu report, police revealed that the accused forcefully broke into Ghurde’s house and overpowered her, holding her at knife-point. He covered her mouth and forced her inside the bathroom, where Ghurde panicked and slipped into semi-conscious state. He then took her to the bedroom, tied her hand and legs to the bed and demanded money. 

After finding just Rs 4000 on her, he took her ATM cards and cellphone and forced her personal identification number and cellphone’s password from her. He then raped her and fled from the spot after suffocating her by pressing her neck and smothering her with a pillow till she died. 

The accused also confessed to showing Ghurde three porn clips before raping her, reports The Times of India.  The DIG said the police has recovered hair from the spot that establishes that the suspect potentially shaved at Ghurde’s flat, confirming the sexual assault. A DNA analysis would soon be conducted. 

Background: 

Based on the interrogation, Gupta revealed that the accused first met Ghurde on June 7 at the main gate of the complex when she first visited the apartments to find out if she could find a place to rent. She inquired with him about vacant flats and soon began residing in the complex.

Singh was fascinated by Ghurde since their first interaction and began tracking her after finding out about her moving in. He soon found out that she lived alone, was outgoing and hardly ever had any visitors. Ghurde had hired Singh to wash her car that facilitated frequent interactions and made him familiar with the layout of the flat, reports The Hindu.

What drove the accused to the crime?

On July 22, Singh was fired from his job after Ghurde filed a complaint with the residents’ association about her missing umbrella that was found in his possession. This coupled with his employers denying him two months’ salary totalling Rs 20,000, drove him to the crime. He had even visited Ghurde twice asking her to take back her complaint. 

The DIG said Singh entered the complex through the main gate on October 3 and hid at the terrace of Ghurde’s building before breaking into her flat on October 5. He exited the complex in the wee hours of October 6. Ghurde was found dead in her flat on the same night. 

Goa police, that was initially working on two other suspects, has ruled out the possibility of any other person being involved in the crime, reports TOI.