Goa luxury hotel manager arrested for drowning wife on beach
A luxury hotel restaurant manager was arrested on Friday for allegedly drowning his wife at a beach in Goa. The accused, Gaurav Katiyar, initially claimed it was an accident, saying his wife, Diksha Gangawar, drowned while he was away buying ice cream. Though the exact cause of death is yet to be determined, authorities believe he killed his wife because he was having an extramarital affair. The incident took place at Rajbag Beach in Cabo-De-Rama, South Goa.
Bystander contacted police after woman drowned
According to the police, the incident occurred at around 3:45pm on Friday, when the couple had gone to the beach. "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. After the incident, he raised an alarm, claiming his wife had drowned. A bystander then contacted the police, and a team from the Cuncolim Police Station arrived at the location.
Incriminating video and signs of struggle
During the probe, a local resident provided a video that showed Katiyar entering and exiting the water multiple times, likely to confirm if Gangawar was dead. Moreover, her body had injury marks on the chest, indicating there were signs of struggle. The police said that when he was confronted with these facts and the discrepancies in his version of events, he eventually confessed to her murder.
Confession and motive behind crime
"As per preliminary probe, it appears that the accused was having an extra-marital affair and planned to murder his wife," a police officer revealed. The couple had been married for a year but had experienced relationship issues in recent months. The exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem examination. However, the police added, "It seems she died of suffocation from drowning in the water."
Murder case filed under Indian Penal Code
Following the confession, Katiyar has been charged with murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Cuncolim Police Station. He is a restaurant manager at a luxury hotel run by Marriott International in Colva, South Goa. He has worked in the food and beverage industry for the last seven years. Both Katiyar and Gangawar hailed from Sharda Nagar in Lucknow.
