It was a tragic case for Goa girl Paloma Fernandes, a call centre employee, in the city of Mumbai who was stabbed to death on wednesday 28th January 2009, by her alleged boyfriend Aquino Martis when she was returning back from work to her apartment in Mira Road at Mumbai.
While it seems that it may be a love affair gone wrong, it was also reported that the unemployed Martis had allegedly stolen the credit card belonging to Paloma, after realising that she had a decent amount in the bank which made Paloma alert her father to block the credit card, which neighbours suspect had been the source of anger for Martis.
Martis, a known trouble maker had allegedly threatened the building watchman on january 26th and damaged society property for which the neighbours were planning to lodge a complaint against him.
On this ill fated wednesday, Martis was stealthily hiding on the first floor staircase of the building and rushed down when Paloma tried to enter her apartment, pushing her inside the room. The watchmen, who had been accompanying Paloma to her apartment due to her anticipated fears of an attack from Martis, also suffered a bite on his index finger from Martis.
A bleeding Paloma who rushed out of the flat and collapsed in the building compound, was taken to the nearby hospital by the building residents and was declared dead. Martis who subsequently stabbed himself was shifted to hospital and survived.
Paloma's body was brought to Goa and the funeral was held yesterday 29th January from their Chandor residence in Goa amidst inconsolable weeping by siblings, parents and close family members as the shocked family went into a state of deep mourning over the sudden killing of their loved one with her parents utterly disbelieving the fact of their daughters death.
This incident should awaken Goans about the increasing danger of allowing their daughters , sisters or spouses to work alone in Mumbai and worse to reside alone in the city. Mumbai no doubt is a good place for growth in various areas and is a place for good employment sources. However one cannot take chances with women in an alien place as loneliness is normally the cause of faulty relationships and the effects of such alliances have never been good.
Also the call centre industry is a field beset with monotony and boredom which normally enthuses its employees to look for other alternative avenues to release their energies and thereby invite unwarranted troubles. We have observed how call center employees in India have been regularly attacked by differecnt people from cabbies to watchmen, to restaurateurs to waiters and even their own colleagues at different times.
One hopes that Goans take extra care with their wards who may be far away from home. May the soul of Paloma Fernandesrest in peace and may God give the family the courage to bear such a tragic loss.
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