Who killed Asha
Goel?
More than 100 days after the Ontario obstetrician's
vicious murder in India, her killers have yet to be
caught
TORONTO, December 16, 2003
By Jenny Manzer
Sanjay Goel used to rise at 4:45 a.m., Vancouver
time, to telephone his mother, Dr. Asha Goel, before
they would each start their working days—he,
as president of a cruise travel company, she as a
devoted obstetrician at Headwaters Health Care Centre
in Orangeville, Ont.
That morning ritual ended forever on Aug. 23, when
Asha Goel was found lying in a pool of her own blood
on the 14th floor of a high-rise in Mumbai, India.
Now, more than three months later, Sanjay, his two
sisters, and their father surgeon Dr. S.K. Goel still
wonder how a woman who brought thousands of lives
into the world could have her own end so brutally.
"I say to people that she was the centre of
my world, the centre of my universe," said Sanjay,
speaking from a hotel room in Mumbai (formerly Bombay)
where he was on a third trip to try and galvanize
the investigation. "I'm here to assist the police
in any way," said Sanjay.
Asha Goel, 62, was found on that August morning in
her brother Suresh Chandra Agarwal's apartment, located
in the city's posh Malabar Hill area. She had been
struck on the head, stabbed repeatedly, blinded and
her jaw broken. There were 21 different points of
injury on her body, according to Sanjay.
There had been five other people sleeping in the
apartment that night—Agarwal, his wife, a nurse,
a cook and a house boy—none of whom reported
hearing anything. There were no signs of forced entry.
A few items were missing from the apartment: an artificial
diamond ring, a small sum in rupees, a camera and
a necklace worth about $100, said Sanjay, estimating
the items to be collectively worth no more than $1,500.
Asha Goel had travelled to Mumbai to visit Agarwal,
who was in ill health. She was scheduled to return
home early on the Aug. 24. Sanjay had accompanied
her on the trip, but flew back to Canada on Aug. 18.
Confession recanted
About a week after the killing, Pradeep Parab, who
managed a guest house owned by the family, confessed
to having a role in the murder, alleging that his
employer, Agarwal, had put him up to it—a claim
made suspicious by the fact Agarwal was dying.
Parab was arrested on Sept. 2.
Indian law requires that confessions be made in the
presence of a magistrate, rather than while a suspect
is in custody. After several court appearances, Parab
eventually recanted his confession. A lie detector
test indicated Parab was lying when he protested his
innocence, but that in itself was not solid evidence,
said Sanjay.
The investigation was hindered from the start, since
the crime scene was not properly sealed and was "badly
managed," contended Sanjay. He has had to adjust
to investigation procedures in India, which differ
from the Western-style direct inquiry, and to different
forensic standards.
"I live in the land of laptops and white boards,"
mused Sanjay, president of Cruise Connections Canada.
The possibility the killing was connected to an inheritance
dispute between Asha Goel's three brothers is one
line of investigation being pursued by Mumbai Police.
She had apparently taken a stand in an ongoing feud
involving division of property between the brothers,
imploring them to be fair and start acting like family.
A Mumbai newspaper reported the contested property
to be worth more than $1.4 million.
While the inheritance dispute theory is still a question
mark, Sanjay said his family is struggling with the
possibility that one of their relatives could be involved.
"The harsh reality is that we don't know what
to think. No one wants to believe that such a thing
could ever happen in their family at all."
In November, Agarwal, the eldest of the brothers,
died of renal failure. Earlier this month, Parab was
granted access to bail, but under Indian constitution
had to provide two "sureties" to vouch for
him and be willing to pay his bail. As of the second
week of December, he had not produced these individuals,
and was still in custody.
In recent months Sanjay, his sisters and father,
have travelled to Mumbai in attempts to keep a flame
under the investigation.
While Sanjay said he does not believe his mother
was targeted because of her nationality, he said the
possibility that there is a Canadian connection to
the conspiracy is being investigated.
Last month, the family posted a reward of one million
Indian rupees, close to $30,000, for any information
that might assist police. They also created a Web
site (www.ashagoel.ca) and an e-mail address (tips@ashagoel.ca)
to accept anonymous tips. The family has been placing
ads in Mumbai newspapers—if only to keep police
motivated, said Sanjay.
While these initiatives did not produce an onslaught
of tips, it has helped drive the investigation. In
the last week of November, a fresh police investigation
team of five officers was assigned to the case.
Naval Bajaj, a deputy commissioner of police in Mumbai,
confirmed they are investigating both the possibility
that the crime involved more than a simple robbery,
and that it may be related to the inheritance dispute.
He declined to say whether a Canadian connection to
the crime is being considered.
"These are the details of the investigation,
so we would not like to divulge," he said, speaking
from a Mumbai police station. "We are investigating
all aspects of the case." Bajaj said he is still
"very much" hopeful that they will solve
the crime.
Meanwhile, Canadian foreign affairs officials say
they're keeping in close contact with local authorities
to ensure the investigation keeps rolling. "Homicides
are not solved as fast as everyone would hope, especially
the family," said Reynald Doiron, a spokesman
for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa.
"In terms of competence, in terms of determination,
in terms of interest, yes, we have confidence in the
Indian police," he said, adding there is also
an RCMP attaché in Delhi whose members are
working with local forces.
"The Canadian government faces a difficult balancing
act between maintaining long-term cordial relations
with India and the need to help find justice for a
Canadian who was very important in Canadian society,"
commented Sanjay. "I think foreign affairs is
trying to walk a very difficult line."
Sanjay said he misses those morning conversations
with his mother. Growing up, when she would ask who
he was going to marry, he'd reply: "Well Mum,
I'm going to marry you," he said, joking that
at age 39, he is still unmarried.
"We're concerned that 100 days have now passed,"
he said, speaking in early December.
Sanjay plans to return to Mumbai again at month's
end, and then every three to four weeks—until
he gets answers.
He now wishes he had listened to his mother and
learned passable Hindi, so he could better communicate
with investigators. When in Mumbai, he has two security
details—a bodyguard and someone to guard his
hotel room—around the clock.
"Was this an ordinary robbery?" he asked.
"It's simply not possible."
He said he finds it strange, given his mother's contributions,
that the case hasn't garnered more attention. There
were 500 chairs set up for her memorial service in
Canada, he recalled, and there still weren't enough.
"I think it's important for all Canadians that
people find the truth out about this matter, no matter
how ugly it might be," he said.
"We as a family are also of that mind. No matter
how ugly it might be, we need to find out the truth
