| Sunday, January 07, 2007 |
| British tourist Stephen Bennet had feared for his life, says mother |
Stephen Bennet, the tourist found murdered in a Maharashtra village, had called his mother.
Were murderers following the British national who was killed in a village in Raigad district? It appears so, after his mother revealed that her son had called her four days before his death to say that he feared for his life.
Local police in Malsai village, however, claim that the villagers killed the British tourist, Stephen Bennett, from Cheltenham, over a misunderstanding following language problem.
Agencies quoted Maureen Bennett as saying: “My son called me to say that ‘I have been traveling with these two blokes and these people are menacing.” She said “he was afraid they might try to kill him.”
Stephen Bennett is believed to have been murdered on December 11, 2006, at Malsai village near Roha in Raigad district by a group of irate villagers for allegedly misbehaving with a woman.
Stephen had also informed his mother he had abandoned his hotel and left his money and passport behind after an incident on the Goan beach near his hotel.
“Something happened to him on the beach which really scared him,” Maureen said, adding that when he called back on December 7, he said he had his money and passport with him.
Maureen said she did not know exactly what happened on the beach or how he got his money and passport back.
Stephen, who was visiting India for the first time, had allegedly misbehavedwith the wife of a man called Ramesh Mane, in the wee hours of December 11. Ramesh and some of his relatives reportedly strangulated Stephen to death on the same day. Stephen was found hanging from a tree.
The version of the villagers in Malsi is that Stephen, in the early hours of December 11, started speaking to a local woman in English. The woman and her family, who do not know English, thought he was making overtures to the woman and began beating him with sticks. Later, others in the neighborhood joined them in the assault.
Ramesh Mane, 38, and three others have been arrested and booked under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) read with 34(common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The police are looking for two other accused.
Stephen Bennett had come to India on December 3, 2006, on a tourist visa, according to the passport the police found on him. The police also found on him 300 pounds and a railway ticket from Goa to Mumbai.
According to Stephen’s mother, he had come to Goa “to get some pre-Christmas sunshine” and to meet his friends.Labels: Society |
| posted by a correspondent @ 9:54 AM |
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