Brother says he does not suspect foul play

Even as mystery deepens with cops unable to locate one of the tainted cop's cellphones, brother Prakash, though incredulous, says he has resigned himself to the loss

Mystery still shrouds the death of disgraced Senior Police Inspector Arun Prabhakar Borude, whose body was found on the railway tracks at Shrirampur in Ahmednagar district on December 29.


The bloodstains are yet to wear off from the tracks close to Shrirampur station in Ahmednagar district where Arun Borude flung himself onto an oncoming train. The prime eyewitness to the incident, Salim Dastgir Shaikh (inset), said Borude was barely 10 m away from him when the incident happened


Police is on the hunt for one of his two mobile phones, which went missing after his death. The mobile phone holds the key to details of the people he was in touch while on the run, cops said.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) in Manmad, under whose jurisdiction the Shrirampur railway station falls, has launched a search for it. Officials suspect that the phone has been stolen by an accomplice to destroy evidence.

Missing phone

Eyewitnesses told police that Borude was talking on two mobile phones at the same time right before flinging himself at the oncoming train. But police recovered only one cell phone from his body.

According to police, one of the eyewitnesses who rushed to help Borude redialled the last number he had called.

Borude's younger brother, Prakash, answered the call. He lives in Ahmednagar, 70 km from Shrirampur railway station.

After listening to Borude's attempt at suicide, Prakash informed his brother-in-law Pankaj Badade Patil, who resides in Belapur village, 5 km away from the tracks.

"Surprisingly, Patil reached the spot 10 minutes before the police," said the Shrirampur GRP. Officials also said that Patil removed the battery from Borude's phone and put it in his own.

But later, when cops questioned him, he handed his phone to them.

"As Borude's family is in deep sorrow, we do not want to question them now. After his funeral ceremonies are over, we will investigate the matter and ask Patil about the phone," said a GRP officer.
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He added that Borude was regularly in touch with Patil and that it is likely that Borude was hiding at Patil's residence.

Incidentally, during preliminary investigation, Prakash told the cops that he was not in touch with Borude for the last two months, despite seized call records showing otherwise.

Family incredulous

On Wednesday, MiD DAY met with Prakash in Ahmednagar, who works in the Public Works Department. He said he found his brother's suicide hard to believe.
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"It is unbelievable to me that an encounter specialist can commit suicide like that. He was ready to surrender to Ahmednagar's SP," he said, but added, "I do not suspect foul play."

Earlier media had reported that Borude's family suspected foul play in his death, and planned to file a petition in the Bombay High Court asking for an inquiry.
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But now, Prakash doesn't plan any court action challenging the suicide.

"Jo hona tha so ho gaya," was all he said. Although, he seemed unhappy with Mumbai Police's action of sealing Borude's Powai flat. "How can the police seal the property without a court order," he asked.

Eyewitness account

The prime eyewitness to the suicide, Salim Dastgir Shaikh, is the special executive officer (SEO) of Hindustan Transport in Shrirampur, located just near the Shrirampur tracks.

He was on his way to the Masjid opposite the track, when he saw the oncoming train. Borude was about 10 m away from him.

Shaikh said he was dumbstruck to seeu00a0 Borude suddenly fling himself between the engine and first bogie of the train. After the train passed, he ran toward Borude, crying for help.
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Passers-by rushed to rescue Borude.

"Such incidents are not new for me. I regularly help people caught in accidents at the tracks. As we had seen Borude's pictures in media, we realised it was him," said Shaikh.

There were children playing cricket near the tracks when the incident occurred. They said that Borude kept chanting 'Shirdi, Shirdi' until his voice was drowned in the roar of the lumbering train which engulfed him.

Police say

"We have registered an Accidental Death Report (No 141/2010) under Section 174 of the CrPC. The matter is under investigation," said Habib M Khan, in-charge, Belapur GRP.

"Prima facie, it appears to be a suicide. We are waiting for the postmortem report," he said.

"I have taken Borude's fingerprints, DNA and viscera. I have sent DNA to Mumbai police to establish his role in the rape case," said Sunil Kadasane, additional superintendent of police, Ahmednagar.

Angst got to him

Sources at Shrirampur told MiD DAY that Borude went in deep shock after a Minister and a senior Indian Police Service official backpedalled on their promise to help Borude fight the rape charges levelled against him.

He lost confidence and decided to end his life, sources close to him said.

Mantralaya sources told MiD DAY that Borude was ready to surrender before the superintendent of police in Ahmednagar.

But before that, he wanted to ensure that the charges against him would be diluted resulting in a mitigated
punishment.

The day Borude committed suicide he discussed the plan to surrender with his wife on phone and said he would return home by 4 pm.
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But after he made a phone call, he told his wife that he had given up hope and warned her that anything could happen.