Mumbai: Where was Ghatkopar couple for six hours?

Shocked neighbours gather in the compound following the news of the couple’s deaths. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

The Pant Nagar police, who are investigating the deaths of a couple discovered in a plush Ghatkopar society on Wednesday, have made a bizarre find. The couple was seen at Chedda Nagar junction (about 200 metres from their house) around 3.30 pm on Tuesday, but thereafter till 9.30 pm their whereabouts are unclear. Five teams have been formed to find about this period which might throw some light on the deaths. The doctors have kept the cause of deaths reserved after the post-mortems were inconclusive.

On Wednesday around 12.15 pm, the Pant Nagar cops received a call from Kukreja Palace, a plush high-rise at Ghatkopar East, that a couple was found lying motionless in a bathroom in a flat. A police team arrived and found 45-year-old Deepak Shah and his 39-year-old wife Tina naked and lying on the right sides of their bodies.

"Their maid had reached the flat at around 12.05 pm and rung the bell. When nobody answered she dialled Tina's number. As the phone was kept on the table just next to the door, she could hear it clearly. Worried, the maid immediately called Kantaben, Deepak's mother," said an officer from Pant Nagar police station.

Deepak and Tina Shah

Kantaben immediately called her brother-in-law who also stays in Kukreja Palace. He arrived at the G-501 flat with spare keys and opened the door. The maid ventured in after hearing the running shower. She saw the duo lying naked on the bathroom floor and alerted Deepak's uncle. He immediately called Deepak's mother, the Mumbai police control room, and their family doctor, said a police officer.

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"The shower was turned off, the geyser was not on. The doctor who had arrived just before us found Deepak and Tina had no pulse. We rushed the bodies to Rajawadi Hospital where doctors declared them dead on arrival," said Ravidutt Sawant, senior inspector of Pant Nagar police station. "The post mortem was carried out on Thursday, but doctors haven't given any primary cause of death. The viscera and tissues have been preserved for further analysis by the Kalina Forensic Laboratory" he added.

Asked what could have caused the deaths, a forensic expert said there could be five possibilities. "There are five possibilities that could have caused the deaths in this case. Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), or aspiration of vomitus (occurs when food or liquid moves into the airways or lungs, instead of being swallowed), or vasovagal shock (occurs when you faint because your body overreacts to certain triggers, such as the sight of blood or extreme emotional distress), or cardiac arrhythmia following viagra (occurs when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart's beats don't work properly due to a drug particularly viagara) or drug consumption could be the reason for the deaths," said Dr Rajesh Dere, head of department, Forensic Science, Sion hospital.

They went to Holi bash
On Monday evening the Shahs had gone to Juhu for Holi Puja and returned at 8.30pm after having dinner. Next morning they again left home around 10am on their bike and met few friends at Ghatkopar west. "There were five couples who reached a ground near Ritambhara College, Juhu where they played holi from 11am to 2pm. Later the Shahs had lunch with friends and left on their bike around 3pm. One of their friends went his way before Ghatkopar and the Shah's took the Eastern Express Way to take a left turn at Chheda Nagar junction," the officer added.

No trace of them
Though the Shahs reached Chheda Nagar junction (around 200 metres from their house) around 3.30 pm, they were seen by a watchman entering the building only around 9.30pm. "They arrived at 9.30pm, they didn't look inebriated,""said the society watchman, A Sawant. The Pant Nagar cops are puzzled about these 6 hours as they said there are no call record details or tower locations of either of them in this period.