Elena didn’t go to Mumbai

Goa police on Monday said that the deposition of Russian tourists in the Elena Sukhanova case does not mention that she had intended to visit Mumbai.

The deposition taken by Goa police inspector Manjunath Desai tracks down the events hours before the 19-year-old was found dead on railway tracks near the Thivim railway station on May 8.

Police officials said they recorded statements of five Russian tourists — George Zasalvskty, Natalia Sherstnevazo, Evegeny Krehkhtunou, Andrey Dorin and Igor Kovalchuk — who had dined with the deceased at a restaurant in the Baga beach village, hours before her body was found.

Four Russian men and two women, one of them identified as Galina, were not available for deposition. Galina was also part of the group, which arrived in Goa with Elena and met her at Baga beach village. The Russians said they had dined in a restaurant and proceeded to a discotheque along with Elena. Later, Elena was on the beach as all the others went to their hotels.

“During the entire conversation, Elena never mentioned that she was leaving for Mumbai in the next couple of hours. That’s surprising,” a senior police official said.

Goa police have not made any formal comment on the issue except for the statement that they are investigating all possible angles into the death. Elena’s mutilated body was found on the railway tracks, 3km from Thivim railway station on May 8.