The Raigad police are also investigating the angle on whether Stephen Bennett, who was found dead at Roha, was part of a drug racket.
Stephen Bennett, 40, the UK national who was found dead in mysterious circumstances at Roha on December 11, was confused and petrified “over something” a day before he left for Mumbai from Goa on December 7.
Baswaraj Baijantri, the receptionist of hotel Palacio De Goa where the Briton stayed on the December 6 night, said, “I was attending another guest when Bennett walked in. He “looked drunk” and his eyes were looking red”. He added, “Bennett came without luggage and looked hassled. He asked me if there were A/c rooms available. I nodded in the affirmative and booked room 101 that came at Rs1200 for a night’s stay.”
He said he had no money and paid through a credit card. Bennett had been staying in a private hotel near the Baga Beach before moving to the Panjim hotel after sensing trouble from anti-social elements.
“The visitor said he left his luggage at the Baga hotel,” said Baijantri.
Bennett’s mother Maureen has vehemently denied that her son was a drug addict. Baijantri added, “Thirty minutes after checking in, he moved out. He returned 45 minutes later.”
Since the hotel did not have a telephone connection for visitors, the police said, Bennett would have used that time to call his mother.
The Raigad police are also investigating the angle on whether Bennett was part of a drug racket. Additional Superintendent of Police Madhukar Talpade, Raigad, told DNA, “At the initial stages, we suspected the motive behind the murder was molestation of woman. However, we are trying our level best to find out real the reason behind the murder. We have recorded the statements of four Mumbai-bound passengers of Mandavi Express who travelled with the deceased in the same train. We are yet to take the statement of the TTE of the train.
Talpade said, “We are investigating whether the deceased was involved in the drug racket or a drug-addict himself. At his stage, we cannot say anything. We are yet to find out the luggage of deceased.”
While Talpade said Bennett travelled on the Mandavi Express from Goa, Maureen claimed that her son did not take the train. She said he took a road journey in a private car and was accompanied by two unidentified men on his way to Roha.
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