Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Jan 25: A 37-year-old Russian national, Alexei Leonov, arrested for the murder of two Russian women in Goa, falsely claimed to have killed 19 Russian women across Goa, Delhi and Uttarakhand, Goa Inspector General of Police (IGP) K R Chaurasia said.

According to the IGP, Goa police thoroughly verified Leonov’s claims and found them largely untrue, except for one case where he was found to have known the deceased. “Leonov claimed he killed 19 women to create a sensation. He has psychological issues. After verification, we found his involvement only in two murders, which are confirmed,” Chaurasia told the Times of India.

Leonov, who had been staying in India for nearly three years, claimed to be a software engineer and said he worked intermittently at a therapy centre, performed with a Russian dance group and undertook computer-related work during his stay.

The accused claimed that eight Russian women were killed in Goa. However, police investigations revealed that one woman found dead last month in Pernem was initially registered as an unnatural death, with the postmortem citing a drug overdose as the cause. “We found evidence, including photographs, establishing Leonov’s connection with the deceased. It was also found that they had met a day before her death. Further investigation is underway,” Chaurasia said.

In another case, the woman reportedly died due to breathing complications. “An eyewitness stated she had breathing issues and died while being shifted to the hospital. No evidence linking Leonov to the death was found,” the IGP added.

Police further verified three other claims and found that the women had left India and were alive. “Most of the names he mentioned were of Russian nationals known to him, as they tend to know each other while staying in India,” Chaurasia said.

Multiple teams have been formed by Goa police to continue verification of Leonov’s remaining claims.

Leonov was arrested following the murder of two Russian women in the coastal areas of Pernem taluka. The case came to light after police recovered the body of his friend, Elena Kasthanova (37), from their rented accommodation in Arambol. During the investigation, it was revealed that another Russian woman, Elina Vaneeva, a mutual friend of Leonov and Kasthanova, was also murdered.