Panvel missing couple: Man’s body washed away in Gadi river found 20km away in Kamothe

Aditya Ambre and his wife Sarika were crossing a bridge on their bike above Gadi river at Panvel on Tuesday when the water level increased suddenly and washed them away along with their bike.

Two days after a couple was washed away while crossing a bridge on a bike above Gadi river at Panvel near Navi Mumbai, the man’s body was found in a creek at Kamothe on Thursday. His wife, however, is yet to be traced, police said.

While Aditya Ambre’s body was found on July 11, 2019, his wife is yet to be traced. (HT Photo)

The distance between the bridge at Panvel and Jui Kamothe village, where Aditya Ambre’s body was found, is around 20 kilometres by road, the police said.

Ashok Rajput, senior inspector of Panvel Taluka police station, said, “Because of heavy rainfall, the water level of the rivers and creeks in the region have gone up. The strong water currents carried the man’s body so far.” On Thursday, a few local residents of Jui Kamothe village alerted the police after they spotted Ambre’s body floating in the water in the afternoon. The officials of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached the spot and fished out his body from the water.

“Ambre’s family and friends have identified the body. We have sent it for postmortem to Panvel rural hospital. The reports are awaited,” he said.

Ambre, 30, and his wife Sarika, 28, were crossing a bridge on their bike above Gadi river at Panvel on Tuesday.

At that point, the water level of the river increased suddenly and washed them away, along with the bike. On Wednesday, the NDRF officials found the bike in the same area in the river where it had fallen.

Meanwhile, the NDRF and City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) fire brigade continued their search operation at different parts of the river on Thursday. Rajput said, “Since the woman has not been found yet, they will start the search operation again on Friday morning.”