A 37-year-old Russian national has been arrested by Goa Police in connection with the murder of two women, one of whom was reportedly his live-in partner. The arrest was made in the early hours of Friday, hours after the first body was discovered in north Goa&rsquo;s Arambol area.
The accused, identified as Aleksei Leonov, was taken into custody around 4 am following the recovery of the body of Elena Kasthanova, also 37, from a rented room. The victim was found with her hands tied behind her back and her throat slit. The body was discovered by the landlord on Thursday.
During questioning, Leonov reportedly confessed to killing another woman. He later led police to the body of his second victim, Elena Vaneeva, 37, which was found in neighbouring Morjim. Both victims were Russian nationals.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Leonov had assaulted and wrongfully restrained one of the women before inflicting fatal injuries using a sharp weapon. The exact motive behind the murders is yet to be established.
Police officials said the investigation is at an early stage and efforts are underway to recover the murder weapon and gather further forensic evidence. The bodies of both women have been sent for post-mortem examinations.
Leonov has been booked under Sections 103 (murder) and 126(2) (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Authorities also stated that Kasthanova had been living in Goa since 2024 and was believed to be in a live-in relationship with the accused.

Live-in partner found dead in Arambol; second woman’s body recovered in Morjim

Russian Man Held for Double Murder in Goa

Live-in partner found dead in Arambol; second woman’s body recovered in Morjim

January 17, 2026 | 09:46 IST