Dindoshi police hunt for man who fled after wife's mysterious death

From left) Avdhut Shinde and the building in Goregaon where his parents and children reside now. Pic/Satej Shinde

Is it a Dutch murder mystery or is it the story of a 'cowardly' man who is said to have fled from the Netherlands to allegedly escape the death of his wife? And how did she die? The Dindoshi police are out to find the answers to these questions. On May 21, Dindoshi resident Madhukar Shinde filed a missing person's complaint with them regarding his son Avdhut, who is nowhere to be found since May 18. That day, Avdhut had dropped off his minor children at Madhukar's home and left for an undisclosed location.

Avdhut and his children Advait and Srushti had left in a rush from the Netherlands without his wife Sharmila, who was later found dead under mysterious circumstances. Sources told mid-day that Avdhut and his family had been residing in a city in the Netherlands for the past four years. Last month, however, things went dramatically awry. "On May 17, Avdhut and Sharmila went for their usual morning walk. But he returned home alone and asked both the kids to pack their bags and rush to the airport, without their mother," said a senior police officer from the Dindoshi police station.

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On May 18, Avdhut dropped off his kids at Madhukar's home and left for an undisclosed location. Representation pic/Getty Images

'Lafda ho gaya'

"When the kids asked him about their mother's whereabouts, he said 'lafda ho gaya hai, mummy next flight se aayegi' (there's been some trouble, mummy will take the next flight). The children followed his instructions and boarded the flight for Mumbai. They reached the city on May 18," the officer said. Avdhut then informed his father Madhukar that he has returned to the city. He went over to Madhukar's house, handed over his children and their luggage and left for an undisclosed location. "When Avdhut did not return home after four days, his father approached us and narrated the whole incident according to what his grandsons had told him. We have registered a missing person's complaint and are searching for Avdhut," said the officer.

Avdhut's mother Manisha said, "Avdhut and Sharmila had a love marriage. I wasn't at home when he came. He just arrived, handed over his children and left. We don't know anything about his whereabouts or what case the police there have taken up against him. We're worried and depressed." Sources at the Dindoshi police station said the cops have issued a Look Out Circular (LoC) against Avdhut to alert all international airports in the country. Besides this, the cyber team has been keeping a hawk eye on his bank transactions to track his movement and location, said the source. Meanwhile, the Shinde family contacted the Netherlands embassy and after mutual coordination, Sharmila's embalmed body was brought to Mumbai on Sunday and handed over to the family.

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'He's too cowardly'

Sources close to Avdhut said, he is 'too cowardly to confront any mishap or kill anyone'. One of his family friends said, "Avdhut is very timid and shy. He contemptibly lacks the courage to endure any tough situation. He even keeps the lights switched on while sleeping at night. Chances are high that he might have panicked after his wife died of cardiac arrest during a morning walk."

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Inputs by Samiullah Khan

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