India, Jan. 21 -- A Russian national, arrested in Goa on charges of killing two women, has told investigators that he harbored a personal dislike for women named Elena, linking it to a traumatic relationship with his mother, who shared the same name. The accused told police that his mother had "neglected" him during his childhood for which he later harbored deep resentment.

Accused Alexei Leonov is a fire display performer. He was arrested last week over the killings of two Russian women, Elena Kasthanova and Elena Vaneeva. Police earlier said Leonov was close to both victims and that the killings may have been triggered by a "monetary dispute".

As reported in the media in January 2026, 37-year-old Alexei Leonov, a fire display artist i...