The report said "asphyxia as result of compression of her neck and mouth" caused Monica Ghurde's death.
Monika Ghurde, a well-known perfumer, died of suffocation, her post mortem report has concluded. Her body was found half-undressed, with her hands tied to the bed, at her residence in Goa's Sangolda village on Thursday.
The report said "asphyxia as result of compression of her neck and mouth" caused her death. Further tests are being conducted to conclude if the 39-year-old was raped before she was killed.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police in Panjim G Vimal Gupta said they were waiting for the results of "serological examinations of oral, vaginal and inner swabs", adding that he would not like to share any further details of the investigation which could compromise the various theories that the Goa police is pursuing.
Ms Ghurde's domestic help had raised the alarm when she did not open the door on Thursday morning. Using a spare key, her American neighbour opened the door along with the watchman to find her dead.
"We received information about the incident late last night. We found her naked body and the flat had been burgled," said the police officer, Rajesh Kumar.
But police has been unable to ascertain what is missing from the three-bedroom apartment that Ms Ghurde rented, as she lived alone. The police suspect that Monika's killer knew her as there were no signs forced entry into her apartment.
The building watchman has reportedly told the police that he had no information on anyone entering the apartment. The police have rounded up several people from the village, which is 5 km away from Goa's famous Calangute beach.
Monika Ghurde, who was from Nagpur in Maharashtra, had moved to Sangolda only in July this year from the neighbouring Provorim village. Sangolda is about 10 km away from Goa capital Panjim.
Her website describes her as an independent perfumer and researcher based in Goa. It says she trained and worked under an English perfumer before launching her MO Lab. Before she became a perfumer, Ms Ghurde was a photographer.
Married to a professional photographer they were living separately since the last one year.