Unidentified woman’s body recovered from gorge near Mumbai-Pune rail track in Raigad

Police said the woman, believed to be aged between 40 and 45, is suspected to have fallen from a moving train into the gorge, though the exact circumstances leading to her death are yet to be established, said police inspector Sachin Ahire. She sustained fatal injuries.

Navi Mumbai: The body of an unidentified woman was recovered from a 30-35-foot deep gorge near the Mumbai-Pune railway line in Raigad district on Sunday after rescuers carried out a challenging operation amid heavy rain and difficult terrain.

Unidentified woman’s body recovered from gorge near Mumbai-Pune rail track in Raigad

Khopoli police registered an accidental death report (ADR) under Section 194(police to enquire and report on suicide etc) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita after the decomposed body was found near the Jambhrung railway cabin at kilometre marker 109/235, between Karjat and Khandala in Khalapur taluka, on Saturday.

Police said the woman, believed to be aged between 40 and 45, is suspected to have fallen from a moving train into the gorge, though the exact circumstances leading to her death are yet to be established, said police inspector Sachin Ahire. She sustained fatal injuries.

The deceased was described as about five feet tall, fair-complexioned, with long black hair and a well-built physique. She was wearing a black top with white stripes, red leggings and white slippers. She was also wearing a yellow metal mangalsutra and earrings, and white metal anklets.

The recovery operation was initially deferred due to torrential rain and the hazardous terrain.

“Khopoli police sought our assistance in retrieving the body on Saturday night. Considering the heavy rain and the dangerous terrain, we decided to postpone the operation until daylight so that an adequately equipped rescue team could be deployed,” said Gurunath Sathelkar of Help Foundation.

The rescue team retrieved the body by 3:30pm on Sunday. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination.

Khopoli police have appealed to anyone with information about a missing woman matching the description to contact them.