The Manor police was informed about burnt body parts found near a farmhouse in March. At the time the police did not know that they were investigating the death of a prime witness in the Lakhan Bhaiya fake encounter case.
A day after Anil Bheda went missing on March 13, a watchman of the farmhouse informed the police about the body. “A skull and some bones were found,” said Rajesh Kumar Mor, superintendent of police, Thane (rural).
Kumar said the spot where the body was found was part of the farmhouse and was mostly deserted. The police initially registered a case of murder of an unknown person.
“We prepared a list of people who had gone missing and suspected it could be Bheda as the charred remains were found just a day after he was reported missing,” Mor said.
To ascertain his identity, the Manor police asked for DNA samples from Bheda’s relatives. “We received the report on Wednesday evening confirming that the deceased was Bheda,” Mor said, adding that the police were now trying to identify his killers.
Navi Mumbai police commissioner Ahmed Javed told Hindustan Times that the Vashi police only had a missing complaint with regard to Bheda’s disappearance.
{{/usCountry}}Navi Mumbai police commissioner Ahmed Javed told Hindustan Times that the Vashi police only had a missing complaint with regard to Bheda’s disappearance.
{{/usCountry}}On July 1, the Navi Mumbai police had filed a report in the court saying that they suspected that the body found in Manor could be that of Bheda.