Let us book missing man for wife's murder - Mumbai cops tell CBI

Avdhut Shinde and Sharmila Shinde

In a significant development in the Dutch murder mystery, exclusively and extensively reported on by mid-day, the Mumbai Crime Branch has written to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for permission to book absconding suspect Avdhut Shinde for the same offence registered by the police in The Hague, Netherlands.

The CBI is the nodal agency in India for INTERPOL. Mumbai police are waiting for a reply.

Also read: We don't know why Mumbai police are delaying Avdhut Shinde's arrest, asks Dutch cop

Avdhut used to work at a well-known shipping logistics company and became a prime suspect in the murder of his wife, Sharmila Shinde after he vanished last year. Their two children live with their grandparents in Dindoshi. Avdhut had disappeared after dropping them at his father's residence on May 18, 2019. Back in The Hague, Sharmila's body was found in the refrigerator in a rented accommodation on May 21.

"The Dutch police booked Avdhut in a manslaughter case and have also registered a case of kidnapping. They had written to us to only to track down Avdhut's location but we have not been asked to arrest him," a Crime Branch officer said.

Also read: Dutch murder mystery: New Interpol notice against accused man

Inputs shared with CBI

Mumbai police have been tracking Avdhut's cell phone location. "With the help of cyber cell and human intelligence, we traced him to temples in Nashik, Solapur, Ganpatipule and Kolhapur. The same inputs were shared with the CBI," he added.

"The case is highly sensitive and we have no right to arrest Shinde in the offence allegedly committed in the Netherlands. Hence, we have written to the CBI to ask for case documents from the police in The Hague. We want to book Avdhut under Sections 3 (offences committed beyond, but which by law may be tried within India) and 4 (extension of Code to extra-territorial offences) of the Indian Penal Code. This case will empower us to investigate independently and arrest Avdhut," the officer said.

Expert speak

Former cop, Ramesh Mahale, one of the key investigators in the 26/11 terror attacks, said, "In special circumstances, Indian police can register a case under Sections 3 and 4 of IPC against an Indian if s/he has committed an offence in a foreign nation and absconded to India."

"But the investigating team will have to seek permission from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) under Section 188 of CrPC before filing a charge sheet. Otherwise, the court won't take cognisance of the charge sheet," Mahale added. As per Section 188, such cases need the central government's sanction to be investigated.

Avdhut's family in the city has not been in touch with him for a very long time. Earlier, he used to call on his father's phone to enquire about his children's well being but after he learnt that he is being hunted, he stopped calling. The Dutch police had also issued an international arrest warrant against him in 2019.

18 May
Day in 2019 Avdhut Shinde returned to India from the Netherlands and disappeared

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Also read: Dutch murder mystery: New Interpol notice against accused man