Crime Branch has arrested Odisha native Jagannath Bhagat, the prime accused in the Saligao double murder case, months after he went absconding following the crime. Bhagat, a native of Chhattisgarh, is accused of murdering 65-year-old Richard D’Mello of Nagoa and his employee 25-year-old Abhishek “Sonu” Gupta, a native of Indore. The two were found dead with slit throats in a rented room at Muddavaddo, Saligao, on November 6, 2025. Bhagat, who was employed by D’Mello, was identified as the main suspect early in the investigation. CCTV footage had shown him at a liquor store on the night of the incident, where he was seen behaving suspiciously. After the murders, Bhagat had been on the run, prompting Saligao police to issue a lookout notice against him on January 3.
Police cite workplace and accommodation dispute as trigger
Police have stated that the double murder in Saligao was triggered by disputes over non-payment of salary, food arrangements, and dissatisfaction with living conditions. The accused, Jagannath Bhagat, a native of Rourkela, Odisha, was arrested by Goa Police in an inter-state operation after he allegedly fled following the crime on 6 November 2025. Bhagat, who was earlier residing in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, had come to Goa in October 2025 after responding to an OLX advertisement posted by the deceased Abhishek Gupta and Richard D’mello. He was accommodated in the same shared premises where Abhishek was also staying. Investigations revealed that tensions escalated between the accused and the deceased over salary issues and living conditions, which ultimately led to the killing of Abhishek Gupta and Richard D’mello inside Richard’s residence in Saligao.
