A Russian national has been arrested in North Goa for allegedly murdering two compatriots, Elena Vaneeva and Elena Kastanova, in separate incidents in Arambol and Morjim villages, police said on Friday.
According to Mandrem police, Aleksei Leonov, 37, allegedly killed his girlfriend Elena Kastanova (37) in her room at Morjim on January 14. The police said he slit her throat with a knife after 11 pm, following a dispute, as reported by the victim’s landlady.
Man Killed 2 Women In Morjim, Arambol
Police said he tied Kastanova’s hands and feet with rope-like material and attempted to confine her in a room. When she tried to escape, he allegedly attacked her with a sharp weapon, killing her. The house owner, Uttam Naik, alerted Goa Police, who arrested Leonov promptly, India Today reported.
Lenov allegedly also murdered another Russianw woman Elena Vaneeva (37), a day before killing his girlfriend. He is accused of slitting Vaneeva’s neck with a knife in her room at Morjim. This incident occurred following a dispute, according to a complaint filed by Vaneeva’s landlady.
Bodies Recovered And Investigation Underway
Both victims’ bodies were recovered on Friday. Police said Leonov’s actions in both cases followed personal disputes with the victims.
Mandrem police registered a case under Sections 126(2) and 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) with case number 05.26. Leonov was taken into custody, and a further investigation into the double murders is ongoing, officials said.
“The accused assaulted his friend who he was staying with and wrongfully restrained her, caused her multiple injuries and slit her neck with a sharp weapon,” Hindustan Times quoted a police officer as saying.
Who Is The Accused?
Police identified Leonov as a 37-year-old Russian national. Investigators said the two killings occurred on consecutive days, with the first in Morjim on January 14 and the second in Arambol on January 15, both allegedly triggered by disputes between the accused and the victims.
Police further confirmed that Kastanova had been staying in Goa since 2024, and was in a live-in relationship with Leonov.
Mandrem police confirmed that Leonov remains in custody as the investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding both murders.
