Goa luxury hotel manager drowns wife on beach, tries to paint it as ‘accident’

Though the exact cause of death can be ascertained after the post-mortem, the police suspect that Katiyar decided to murder his wife whom he married a year ago as he was having an extra-marital affair, said a police officer. “It seems she died of suffocation from drowning in the water,” he added.

According to the police, the incident took place around 3.45 pm on Friday when the couple had gone to Rajbag beach in Cabo-De-Rama in South Goa.

“The accused accosted his wife to a rocky area on the beach before venturing into the water. After a scuffle, he drowned her on the beach,” said a police officer.

Police said the accused later claimed that his wife had accidentally drowned, while he had gone to purchase ice-cream.

“After the incident, he created a commotion claiming his wife drowned in the water. A bystander informed the police and a team from Cuncolim police station reached the spot. During questioning, the behaviour of the victim’s husband was found suspicious. In a video, purportedly shot by a local resident, he could be seen coming out of the water and then going back in, possibly to confirm if she was dead. Her body had injury marks on the chest area, suggesting signs of struggle,” said a police officer, privy to the investigation.

Police said when he was confronted with these facts and discrepancy in the sequence of events narrated by him, he confessed to killing her.

“The couple got married one year ago. In the past few months, there was some friction in the relationship. As per preliminary probe, it appears that the accused was having an extra-marital affair and planned to murder his wife. It seems she died of suffocation from drowning in the water. The exact cause of death will be ascertained after the post-mortem,” the officer said.

Police said a murder case was registered against the accused under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code at Cuncolim police station.