Mumbai: Virar family of 6 disappears into thin air and no one knows where

A family of six from Virar has gone missing and no one knows where. Neighbours at Global City, the society where they live, say that the Sharmas had set out for Shirdi on the morning of October 15 to perform the shradh ceremony of the head of the family who had died in August. The police have said that the last location of their cellphones wasSurat. After that, none of their cellphones have been switched on.

A CCTV grab from the lift of Global City housing society in Virar shows Varun and Ashwini chatting. This was on the same day that they left their residence

After missing are Surendra Sharma, 50, his wife, Malati Sharma, 52, and their daughter Priyanka Sharma, 16. Anita Sharma, 60, and her sons Varun Sharma, 40, and Ashwini Sharma, 34 were with them. Surendra Sharma is paternal uncle to Varun and Ashwini. Both families live in the same complex.

The complainant in the case is Varun's wife, Sangeeta, who was at her mother's home inAmravatiwhen the family went missing. She had delivered a daughter in June and was living with her parents since.

Sangeeta said, "I last spoke to my husband on October 14 and he did not mention anything about travelling. Later, when I could not get through to his phone again, I called his uncle Surendra Sharma. He told me he would call me back since he was in the middle of something. When I tried his phone later, it was switched off. I then tried Ashwini's phone, but he disconnected after saying, hello. I later sent him a message on Whatsapp, which he read but did not reply to."

Around 10.30 pm that day, when Sangeeta tried to contact them again, no one responded to her calls. The next day, October 15, she tried them again and found that all phones were switched off.

A desperate Sangeeta then took the help of Google and found the number of Virar police station and reported the strange happenings to officials.

An officer from Arnala police station told mid-day, "We took down the complaint and investigations are underway."

Clockwise from top left: Malati Sharma, Surendra Sharma, Priyanka Sharma, Anita Sharma, Varun Sharma and Ashwini Sharma

The police first spoke to the neighbours atGlobalCity, who said the family had told them that they were headed to Shirdi for the shradh ceremony of the head of the family, and had left the keys to their house with them. The father of the family had expired in August, so the neighbours did not think anything was amiss. Footage from CCTV cameras fitted in the building have recorded the family leaving the building around 10.30 am on October 14. The police later tried to trace the cell phone locations of the missing family members and found the last location to beSurat. None of the cell phones have been switched on since then. The officer said, "We are now investigating all possible angles and hope to find out the truth soon."

Sangeeta said, "My husband and in-laws were very happy with the birth of my daughter. Varun had come to visit us inAmravati. In fact, he was here until October 11. I don't understand what could have happened."

Varun and Ashwini work as graphic designers, while Sangeeta holds a senior position in an MNC. The family is comfortably off, Sangeeta said.