Panaji:
Over the past four days, 10 mysterious deaths have rattled Goa. Two of these were found in Panjim Creek late on Wednesday.
The Goa Police says the deaths appear unrelated, but many questions remain. Three of the bodies were burnt, perhaps in an attempt to destroy evidence.
On Monday, the first cases surfaced in Pernem where a man and woman were found in close proximity to Vagator beach. The woman was found without her saree.
The man, not too far away with a saree near him, caused the police to suspect the two may be related.
But on Tuesday, four more bodies were found in the city, including that of a 60-year-old fisherwoman who was found dead and partially burnt in Merces, North Goa.
The fisherwoman had come to visit a hospitalised relative when she went missing. Then, in Verna a 16-year-old girl was also found partially burnt. She went missing from Panjim.
The third death was reported in Mapusa where a woman was found with burn injuries below her neck and on her abdomen. With her face clear of injuries, police hope to identify her soon.
The fourth, a woman, died after being hit with a heavy object.
Given the condition of the body, the police say the death could have occurred two-three days before it was found. On Wednesday, the corpses of a man and woman were fished out of Panjim Creek.
Faced with questions of a serial killer on the loose, the police say nothing's been ruled out.
"We are investigating. Prima facie it appears these are all unrelated cases. We are not ruling out anything at this juncture. The commonality if any is that in the three cases attempts were made to destroy the evidence by burning the body," said Atmaram Deshpande, SP, Crime, Goa Police.
Whatever the causes of the deaths may be, given cases like Scarlett Keeling or Elena Sukhanova and that of Meghana Subedar, the deaths have certainly galvanised the police into acting quickly.
The Goa Police says the deaths appear unrelated, but many questions remain. Three of the bodies were burnt, perhaps in an attempt to destroy evidence.
On Monday, the first cases surfaced in Pernem where a man and woman were found in close proximity to Vagator beach. The woman was found without her saree.
The man, not too far away with a saree near him, caused the police to suspect the two may be related.
But on Tuesday, four more bodies were found in the city, including that of a 60-year-old fisherwoman who was found dead and partially burnt in Merces, North Goa.
The fisherwoman had come to visit a hospitalised relative when she went missing. Then, in Verna a 16-year-old girl was also found partially burnt. She went missing from Panjim.
The third death was reported in Mapusa where a woman was found with burn injuries below her neck and on her abdomen. With her face clear of injuries, police hope to identify her soon.
The fourth, a woman, died after being hit with a heavy object.
Given the condition of the body, the police say the death could have occurred two-three days before it was found. On Wednesday, the corpses of a man and woman were fished out of Panjim Creek.
Faced with questions of a serial killer on the loose, the police say nothing's been ruled out.
"We are investigating. Prima facie it appears these are all unrelated cases. We are not ruling out anything at this juncture. The commonality if any is that in the three cases attempts were made to destroy the evidence by burning the body," said Atmaram Deshpande, SP, Crime, Goa Police.
Whatever the causes of the deaths may be, given cases like Scarlett Keeling or Elena Sukhanova and that of Meghana Subedar, the deaths have certainly galvanised the police into acting quickly.