Aarey murder: Mumbai cops use victim’s dog to recreate crime scene

Almost two weeks of probing the case, the police are still clueless and are working on various angles .

To crack the murder Brandon Gonsalves, 22, whose headless body was found at Aarey Colony, Goregaon, the police are taking help of his dog to recreate the crime scene. A preliminary investigation has revealed that Gonsalves had taken his dog for a walk to Aarey Colony and returned home to leave it — 15 minutes before his murder on December 22. Almost two weeks of probing the case, the police are still clueless and are working on various angles .

Gonsalves’ headless, naked body was found in the bushes in Aarey Colony on December 22, by a local resident who alerted the police. (HT)

Initially, cops took a police dog squad to the crime scene and the victim’s residence but found no leads, an officer said, adding that they later decided to recreate the sequence of events by taking out Gonsalves’ dog. “It is surprising that his dog directly went to the crime scene where the body was found. A few seconds later, it again directly went to spot where his head was found,” said a crime branch officer. “It appears that the victim had visited the spots with his dog,” added the officer.

“We have been probing various angles in the case, but the reason behind the killing is still not clear,” said the officer.

Gonsalves’ forehead had a sign similar to a cross, which led to suspicion over human sacrifice. However, the police have not found any clues to confirm the theory.

Investigators are scrutinizing the call data records and questioning those who were known to the deceased, added an officer.

Eight teams have been formed from the west and north regions. The police are checking CCTV footage from Gonsalves’s neighbourhood. Footage from a CCTV camera shows him leaving his apartment with a plastic bag on December 19 after he went missing. It is unclear what the bag contained.

Gonsalves’ headless, naked body was found in the bushes in Aarey Colony on December 22, by a local resident who alerted the police. Gonsalves, who studied in a suburban college, would often take his dog for walks. He lived with his mother and elder sister Kashma.

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Mumbai: Police probe human sacrifice angle in Aarey murder