The North Goa Additional Sessions Court has rejected the bail applications of accused Rahul Maheshwari and Rashmi Solanki in the murder of tourist Bhavana Tomar, who was found dead in a Calangute hotel room in March 2025. The court held that the seriousness of the offence, the prima facie evidence, and the accused’s conduct did not justify the plea to release on bail.
According to the prosecution, on 17 March 2025 the victim’s body was discovered inside a room at a hotel in Khobravaddo, Calangute. The hotel caretaker alerted police after noticing a foul smell coming from the room. A post‑mortem examination found that the victim died of violent asphyxia caused by smothering and gagging while she was restrained.
The prosecution further alleges that Rahul Maheshwari had previously been in a relationship with the victim and that she had refused his marriage proposal. Maheshwari later married co‑accused Rashmi Solanki, a distant relative of the victim, which allegedly gave rise to a dispute. The prosecution contends that the couple conspired to kill Tomar.
On 15 March 2025, Maheshwari drove to Goa in a car accompanied by Rashmi Solanki and a minor child. Hotel CCTV captured the two accused entering the premises shortly after the victim went to her room early in the morning and leaving minutes later carrying the victim’s handbag. The victim’s brother later identified Maheshwari from the surveillance footage.
After the murder the accused fled Goa and used the victim’s ATM cards to withdraw ₹1,18,000 in multiple transactions. They are also alleged to have circulated defamatory letters among the victim’s relatives.
Maheshwari was later arrested by Calangute police with assistance from Delhi Police.
While Maheshwari’s counsel argued that the case rests on circumstantial evidence and noted that the accused have family dependents, the court found that circumstantial links, witness testimony, and recovered evidence together amount to a strong prima facie case. Noting that material witnesses are still being examined and that the offence is grave, the court declined both bail applications.
