Son pins hopes on sessions court after justice delayed for 17 years

Sanjay Goel with his father (left) Dr Sadan Kumar Goel. Pic /Ashish Raje

Ever since 2003, when she was brutally murdered, allegedly by her siblings and their accomplices over a multi-crore property, the family of Canadian national Dr Asha Goel, has been waiting for justice. Goel's son Sanjay, who is the president of Cruise Connections, a tourism company in Canada, said he has visited India 88 times to fight for justice, but the trial is yet to start, despite the Supreme Court's clear directive to the Sessions Court for the same. Now Sanjay and his father have flown down to Mumbai again as the fate of the trial against the main accused in the case will be decided on January 13 at the Sessions court.

"My mum was brutally murdered, there were 21 points of injuries, vegetable paring knives, a pillow was used. In some ways she was blinded, her jaw was broken... It was a horrible, horrible assault. Her struggle for her life could have lasted probably for 10 minutes or so. The forensic findings said she was beaten to death," Sanjay told mid-day of the murder on August 13 then.

'Brothers killed her'

The deceased's brothers Suresh and Subhash had been trying to keep their youngest sibling, Shekhar, from getting any part of the family inheritance, said Sanjay, adding, "My mum always tried to settle the matter. I, too, tried several times to settle things peacefully. But Suresh and Subhash never listened to us. During our India visit in August 2003, we lived at an aunt's place in Santacruz."

"Subhash convinced my mum that he wanted her to spend the night with them the day before she returned to Canada. So, mom went to Malabar Hill, had dinner with the family and later was brutally killed in the ancestral property which belongs to my nanaji," Sanjay said. The murder case was registered at Malabar Hill police station. He added that the brutal murder was painted as a suicide by Suresh.

Sanjay added that the files related to the murder case were lost for more than two years. "No immediate arrest was made. Mumbai police took more than two years after the murder to crack the case," he said. He also said some of the accused were arrested two years after the murder, but couldn't remember exactly who.

'This is my 89th trip to India'

"It is almost 17 years and the trial is yet to start. It is my 89th trip to India to fight for justice for my mother," said Sanjay, who is accompanied by his 82-year-old father Sadan Kumar Goel, a retired surgeon.

"It was the property of my wife's father. But after his death, her brother forged the will. It is written in the handwriting of Subhash and the witness is Suresh. How is it possible to be a witness when you are a beneficiary?" Sadan said.

The case

Dr Asha Goel was at her brother Subhash Aggarwal's house in Mumbai. Suresh along with his son-in-law Narendra Aggarwal and two employees, Manohar Shinde and Pawan, allegedly killed her.
Accused Suresh Aggarwal and Manohar Shinde have died. Asha Goel's second brother Subhash is absconding and is said to be in Canada. There is a warrant by Interpol against Subhash. Another employee of Suresh named Pradeep Parab has turned approver. He told a magistrate how Suresh prepared to kill Asha.

On January 13, there is a hearing in the sessions court in which the court has to decide on starting the trial against the main accused, Subhash. Accused Narendra was acquitted by the sessions court without trial but this was challenged by the government, and the High Court rejected the decision of the lower court.

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