Police stick to accident theory in Russian girl's death

by ERVIN FONSECA
Posted on 2009-05-14
MAPUSA - The death case of the Russian girl, Elena Sukhonova has taken a new turn with the police now confirming that another train had passed on the same rail track immediately after the Netravali Express on May 8, the day on which the dismembered body parts of Elena were found on the track between 7.10 a.m. and 7.30 a.m.
Police have confirmed that the second train that followed the Netravali Express was the Trivandrum Express and this has baffled the police as to how the body was not noticed by this train driver. The body, it is learnt, was noticed by a goods train that followed the Trivandrum Express. Police are also investigating whether the girl had boarded the second train.
Although they feel it is an accident case Mapusa police are leaving no stone unturned and are investigating all possible angles. Some ticket collectors have already been summoned while a team of Mapusa police is expected to go to Margao to quiz some TCs.
According to a theory put forth by the Mapusa police, it is learnt that going by her background the deceased who was already in an intoxicated state while boarding the train to Mumbai must have come to the compartment door for a puff and might have lost her balance, however realising that she was falling she might have held onto the door handle and gradually fallen on the track.
What makes the police�s belief strong in this theory is that a cloth from her bag was found first, then at some distance some things from her bag including a cigarette packet were found, a little further her bag was found and then at some distance away her limbs were found.
Police are also exploring another angle and that is whether somebody pushed the girl from behind when she was at the door and whether while trying to save herself by holding onto the handle she fell on the track.
Even while the police are sticking to the theory of accidental death, the Russian authorities including the Consul General, Mr Alexander Matytsky are not ready to accept the fact that Ms Elena died of an accident and feel there is still something more in this case. Saying that investigations are not going on in the right direction, the Consul General has written to the Chief Minister to look into the matter.
The post mortem has not mentioned about any external injuries but has said that she had been run over by the train. Countering the statement made by the Konkan Railway officials that it was not an accident case, Mapusa police have emphasised that it is neither a case of homicide nor suicide but a clear case of accident and have sought to know from Mr Ghatge on what basis he could prove his point.
Mapusa police on Wednesday interrogated yet another driver of the deceased one Venkatesh Narvekar who happened to be the �usual driver� of the deceased. Police claim that on the night prior to her death the deceased had phoned Venkatesh at around 12.30 a.m. asking him to drop her at the railway station but he refused as it was too late.
Interestingly her visa was valid till July. Her Russian friends with whom she had spent her last night have claimed that she was drunk and was also abusive. The hotel and shack staff where the deceased frequented have claimed that the deceased was at times rude and feel that this could possibly have happened due to her involvement in smoking, drinking and possibly drugs, however, no one was prepared to say for sure if she really was a drug addict.
It was also informed by some who knew her that she was a �party girl� and perhaps it could be because of this that she did not want to return back and due to which she went missing on the night previous to her departure. It is also rumoured that she could have been friendly with some waiters or some hotel staff but none of these whom the police have interrogated have admitted to having any illicit relationship with her.
Police have also interrogated one Vinay who was friendly with her and a police team has also left for Himachal Pradesh to bring one Vir Singh who was working in a hotel at Baga as a waiter and who knew her but was removed from service as he used to fool customers.
Another interesting development is that the Mapusa police are now exploring all possible options to try and locate the railway ticket which was obtained by the deceased. They feel that if she had boarded the Netravali Express to Mumbai there should be some record to show that she had travelled by that train
Police are also verifying whether some of her acquaintances were also in the same train or whether she was alone. Although the case is becoming confusing police do not want to leave out any witness least this becomes another Scarlette case, and are therefore interrogating all those linked to the case to see if anything else is coming out.
A visit to the site also showed that it could be possible that the deceased might have fallen while trying to hold onto the handle of the train as otherwise there was no reason for her to fall right on the track and instead would have otherwise fallen away from the track, as here the track is a single one and the scene of the accident is just a few metres away from the Thivim railway station.
In another development, a shack owner of a shack at Baga, one Vishant Kudnekar who was called for interrogation by the Mapusa police, on Wednesday applied for anticipatory bail. On account of this, the SP (north) Mr Tony Fernandes, SP (crime) Mr Bosco George, Mapusa Dy Sp Mr Sammy Tavares and PI Mr Manjunath Dessai held discussions for almost two hours.
On the other hand, Mr Baban Ghatge of the Konkan Railway, against whom the police have served a notice, has denied making any statement to the press and has said that some press persons had come to him forcing him to give his reaction on the incident. He also admitted that he did not have any technical knowledge in the matter.