The body of a 25-year-old man, missing since October 26, was found inside a car parked near Sarasbaug on Friday morning, prompting police to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
The deceased was identified as Shubhrat Balasaheb Bansode, a resident of Kavadi village in Loni Kalbhor.
According to police, Bansode left home around noon on October 26 with a lunchbox for his father, an autorickshaw driver. He handed the lunchbox to his father near the autorickshaw stand at Hadapsar Gadital and said he was returning home.
At around 9.30 pm, he called a friend and asked him to meet near Hadapsar village. When the friend met him, Bansode said he was leaving for somewhere and asked the friend to send him money only if he called. He subsequently transferred ₹100 to the friend. Shortly afterwards, his mobile phone became unreachable.
When Bansode did not return home, his family searched for him. His brother lodged a missing-person complaint at Hadapsar police station on October 28, suspecting that he might have been abducted.
On Friday, a priest from a Jain temple and other people in the Swargate area alerted the police control room about a foul smell coming from a car parked there.
{{/usCountry}}On Friday, a priest from a Jain temple and other people in the Swargate area alerted the police control room about a foul smell coming from a car parked there.
{{/usCountry}}Swargate police rushed to the spot and found the car, which had reportedly been parked there for several days. A man was found on its rear seat. When police opened the door, the body fell out of the vehicle. A forensic team was called to examine the scene.
Police also recovered medicines from the car and sent them for examination.
“Bansode’s brother identified the body. It was sent for post-mortem. Prima facie, there are no injury marks on the body. The exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem,” said Yashvanth Nikam, senior police inspector at Swargate police station.
Police contacted the car owner, Avinash Gaikwad, who knew Bansode, and are questioning him. They are now investigating how Bansode reached Sarasbaug from Hadapsar and what happened in the days leading up to his body’s discovery.