Kakkad’s family waited for 3 months

It took three months for the Kakkads to confirm that Karan, their 35-year-old son, had been brutally murdered by Vijay Palande and his accomplices.

It took three months for the Kakkads to confirm that Karan, their 35-year-old son, had been brutally murdered by Vijay Palande and his accomplices.

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“It was three months of fighting fear with hope and three months of endless wait. And now the crime branch has charge-sheeted Palande. We are satisfied with the crime branch’s work, but the local police has done no work at all,” said Hanish Kakkad, Karan’s brother, who runs his own business.

Hanish said that although the crime branch had helped the family to a great extent, the case could have been solved much earlier, had the Amboli police cooperated with them. Besides, said Hanish, had that been the case, senior citizen Arunkumar Tikku’s murder could also have been averted.

“They (policemen at Amboli police station) used to literally mock us. I remember visiting the police station 10 to 12 times every day since March 9. And each time, the policemen would laugh and say in a chorus ‘yes, we are investigating, do not bug us.’ Had they helped then, things would have become clearer much soon,” recollected Hanish.

Despite Palande’s confession to the police that he had murdered the aspiring producer and despite having identified Karan’s bracelet that was found down the Kumbharli valley, the family was still hopeful that Karan was alive, till the DNA of the torso found in the valley matched his mother’s.

Karan’s mother said: “We are happy that Palande and Simran have been chargesheeted. Although Palande was the murderer, Simran was the catalyst who led my son to Palande. We hope they are brought to justice. I will be at peace only then.”