Famous Indian perfumer found dead in Goa flat
Monika Ghurde was found naked with her hands tied to the back of the bed
Monika Ghurde. PHOTO: ONLINE
A noted Indian perfumer was found dead in her flat in Goa.
39-year-old Monika Ghurde, nicknamed the First Lady of Smell, was found naked with her hands tied to the back of the bed. Police are investigating to determine if there was a sexual assault. "The maid came to Ghurde's house at 9:00 am on Thursday but no one opened the door," Goa DIG Vimal Gupta said.
The maid reportedly alerted a neighbour who called up Ghurde's brother Anand. He tried contacting her but his calls went unanswered, Gupta informed further.
The late perfumer's neighbour, an American woman who had a set of duplicate keys, opened the door to her flat at 11:30 am and found Ghurde's body. Police sources told Times of India they suspected that the high-profile perfumer had been suffocated with a pillow as her face had red marks. "There were no stab injuries on the body," they said.
Gupta suspected the accused may have been friendly with Monika as there were no apparent signs of forced entry. The senior police officer also ruled out robbery, saying that Anand, the deceased's brother, had confirmed there was nothing missing from the flat.
Police said there were no CCTV cameras in the complex. However, a case for Ghurde's murder has been registered under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
Monika Ghurde, originally from Nagpur, had done a photography course from Mumbai's JJ Institute of Applied Arts. She moved to Chennai in 2009 and later shifted to Goa in 2011.
Monika had established her perfume-making company Mo Lab and was also researching perfumery. She collaborated with eminent designers such as Jean Francois Lesage, Christian Louboutin and Anand Kabra.
Ghurde separated from her husband one year ago and had moved into the flat in Sangolda, a posh locality of Goa, in July. Among the few visitors to her house was her Mumbai-based brother Anand who would occasionally be accompanied by their mother.
‘Killers’ identified
Meanwhile, Goa police claimed to have identified two suspected killers behind Ghurde’s murder, police said.
According to Indian media, the suspects were caught by CCTV camera at an ATM at Porvorim, about three kilometres from the scene of the crime, withdrawing money with her card. The suspects also withdrew money in Bengaluru using the same card. The police have so far not disclosed the identities of the suspected killers.
This article originally appeared on Times of India.
39-year-old Monika Ghurde, nicknamed the First Lady of Smell, was found naked with her hands tied to the back of the bed. Police are investigating to determine if there was a sexual assault. "The maid came to Ghurde's house at 9:00 am on Thursday but no one opened the door," Goa DIG Vimal Gupta said.
The maid reportedly alerted a neighbour who called up Ghurde's brother Anand. He tried contacting her but his calls went unanswered, Gupta informed further.
The late perfumer's neighbour, an American woman who had a set of duplicate keys, opened the door to her flat at 11:30 am and found Ghurde's body. Police sources told Times of India they suspected that the high-profile perfumer had been suffocated with a pillow as her face had red marks. "There were no stab injuries on the body," they said.
Gupta suspected the accused may have been friendly with Monika as there were no apparent signs of forced entry. The senior police officer also ruled out robbery, saying that Anand, the deceased's brother, had confirmed there was nothing missing from the flat.
Police said there were no CCTV cameras in the complex. However, a case for Ghurde's murder has been registered under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
Monika Ghurde, originally from Nagpur, had done a photography course from Mumbai's JJ Institute of Applied Arts. She moved to Chennai in 2009 and later shifted to Goa in 2011.
Monika had established her perfume-making company Mo Lab and was also researching perfumery. She collaborated with eminent designers such as Jean Francois Lesage, Christian Louboutin and Anand Kabra.
Ghurde separated from her husband one year ago and had moved into the flat in Sangolda, a posh locality of Goa, in July. Among the few visitors to her house was her Mumbai-based brother Anand who would occasionally be accompanied by their mother.
‘Killers’ identified
Meanwhile, Goa police claimed to have identified two suspected killers behind Ghurde’s murder, police said.
According to Indian media, the suspects were caught by CCTV camera at an ATM at Porvorim, about three kilometres from the scene of the crime, withdrawing money with her card. The suspects also withdrew money in Bengaluru using the same card. The police have so far not disclosed the identities of the suspected killers.
This article originally appeared on Times of India.