Goa police have arrested Russian national Alexei Leonov for the alleged murder of two Russian women, who now claims to have killed five in total. Investigators are verifying his statements, which include two additional Russian women and the death of a woman from Assam. He has been remanded to 14 days of police custody.
In Arambol, Goa, the body of Elena Kasthanova (37) was found on January 18 at her rented accommodation, with her throat slit and hands tied behind her back. Police stated that Leonov assaulted her, bound her with a rope, and slit her neck with a sharp weapon. Kasthanova had arrived in Goa on December 24 and worked as a go-go dancer and usher at weddings.
The second victim, Elena Vaneeva (37), was a bubble performer who reached Goa last week. On the night of January 17 after 11 pm, Leonov allegedly slit her neck with a sharp knife. Leonov was in a close relationship with both women and lived with them. Authorities cited a monetary dispute as the motive, though his statements suggest obsessive attachments led to the crimes.
During questioning, Leonov claimed he killed two more Russian women, one whose body was reported as an unnatural death in December 2025. He also implicated himself in the death of a 40-year-old woman from Assam, recorded as unnatural on January 14. Investigators described his claims as sketchy and inconsistent, requiring further probes and autopsies. A senior officer noted, "We cannot take all his statements at face value."
Leonov exhibits psychopathic tendencies, befriending foreign nationals, mainly Russians, and using methods like throat-slitting or suffocation. Police are continuing interrogations to check for additional victims.