Body of missing Mumbai fisherman traced, handed over to family

The body was traced down by the Cuffe Parade police on January 26.

A month after a 31-year-old fisherman’s body was found near the INS Kunjali coast area, the police handed over the body to his family.

During investigation it was found that a missing complaint had been reported on January 21 at Versova police station. (HT File)

Ganesh Ramdas Patil’s body was traced down by the Cuffe Parade police on January 26. They carried out a spot investigation and registered an accidental death case. They started searching for missing complaints across the city, mostly coastal police stations . Meanwhile, the body was sent to GT hospital in south Mumbai and kept in the mortuary.

During investigation it was found that a missing complaint had been reported on January 21 at Versova police station. The man was identified as Ganesh Ramdas Patil, who resided with his family in Versova.

When the family was contacted, they were not able to identify the body as it had been decomposed, after which, the police carried out a DNA test and after confirmation handed over the body to the family.

“We contacted the family members and asked them to visit the hospital. But as the body had been decomposed, they were not able to identify it. However, the victim’s brother doubted that the t-shirt on the body looked similar, but he wasn’t sure and neither could he confirm,” said an official. The Cuffe Parade police then carried out the DNA test after taking a sample of the deceased’s mother Kusum Ramdas Patil.

Mahesh Dolake, assistant police inspector, Cuffe parade police station was investigating the matter and said that on January 20, a day prior, Patil and few others went fishing.

“The people with him had come back and informed the family about his drowning.”