Killer Showed Perfumer Monika Ghurde Porn Clips Before Raping Her: Police

Panaji: Former security guard Rajkumar Singh showed perfumer Monika Ghurde three porn clips before raping and murdering her in cold blood, he confessed during an interrogation by Goa police on Tuesday.

Revealing the chilling details, Goa DIG Vimal Gupta confirmed that the accused had raped Ghurde. The police said he had also planned the murder and it was not accidental as suspected earlier.

Gupta said Singh, posing as a security supervisor, knocked the door. When she opened the door, he entered Ghurde's flat forcibly and held her at knife point. When she was about to shout, Singh overpowered her and covered her mouth with his hand and took her inside the bathroom. Ghurde become nervous and went into a semi-conscious state.

The DIG said Singh revealed that he then tied her to the bed, binding both her hands and legs. After ensuring that she was helpless, he demanded money.

"She told Singh to take whatever money was there in her purse. He found Rs 4,000, which Singh told her was not enough for him," Gupta said, adding that when Singh demanded more, Ghurde told him to take her ATM card and gave him the PIN.

Later, Singh took her cellphone to prevent her from alerting anyone and forced her to give him the cellphone's password. "Once he got the password, he forced her to watch three porn clips," the DIG said.

Gupta said Singh released Ghurde's legs and raped her. "We will add Section 376 (rape) IPC to the case," he added.

The DIG said the police has clinching evidence as the suspect shaved at Ghurde's flat. "We have recovered hair from the spot," he said and added that a DNA analysis would be done.

Goa police also ruled out the involvement of any other person in the crime. Initially, the police was working on two suspects following CCTV footage they obtained from an ATM in Porvorim.

Goa police said that revenge, lust and robbery were the motives behind the crime.

A local court on Tuesday remanded Singh, 21, a native of Bathinda, Punjab, to six days police custody. He had been working as a security guard at Sapana Raj Valley, Sangolda, where Ghurde's body was found naked with her hands tied to the bed.

Speaking to mediapersons, Gupta said, "After Singh raped Ghurde, he must have realized that she knew him very well and would complain. Hence, he suffocated her by pressing the neck and smothered her with a pillow till she died."

Singh, who completed his first year BCom through open school in Haryana, came to Goa on April 5 this year and joined a security group. He later left the job and joined another security agency, which posted him at Sapana Raj Valley, the DIG said.

Based on the interrogation, Gupta said that on June 7, Ghurde visited the complex for the first time to find out if she could find a flat on rent. Singh was on duty at the main gate of the complex. Ghurde met Singh at the gate and inquired with him whether any flat was vacant. Singh disclosed details of a few flats to her. Singh discovered after four days that Ghurde had begun residing in the complex.

"Singh was fascinated by Ghurde since the time they first interacted," Gupta said, adding that since then, the suspect kept track of Ghurde and ensured that she was staying alone.

Gupta also said that since Ghurde had hired the suspect to wash her car, his interactions with her were frequent. "Singh was not a stranger to Ghurde and he was familiar with the layout of the flat."

The DIG said she was out often, and there were hardly any visitors to her flat.

On July 22, Singh was removed from the job based on complaints from residents, including Ghurde. Gupta said Singh had linked Ghurde's complaint to his termination. Ghurde's missing umbrella was found in Singh's possession. Singh's employer refused to pay him two months' salary totalling Rs 20,000.

"He was angry not only with the employer but also with Ghurde," he said. Singh subsequently worked as a labourer at Ponda and on two occasions, visited Ghurde to pressurize her to take back her complaint, so that he could get his job back. Later, Singh went out of Goa in search of a job.

"As Singh was without a job and money, he diverted his anger and frustration towards Ghurde and planned the crime," Gupta added.

The DIG said Singh returned to the state on October 2 and on October 3, he entered the complex through the main gate during the day and not through the rear fence as was suspected earlier. He came with the intention of recovering his payment for car washing from residents who had employed him. At the time, he went to the terrace of Ghurde's building and hid there for three days and two nights.

Gupta said nobody noticed him getting into the complex. Singh entered Ghurde's flat on October 5 at around 6.30pm and left the complex on October 6 at 3.30am. On the same night at about 11.30, Ghurde's body was found, after the neighbour opened the flat on the request of Ghurde's brother.

Police said while he was hiding on the terrace, he would come down often to check if Ghurde's car was there.