Mumbai: Woman found dead in sack at Aksa beach identified

Nandani Rai`s husband had gone to their village and she was at home with her father-in-law

The police have identified the body that was found in a sack at Aksa beach on Thursday. The woman was Nandani Pankaj Rai, 22, a resident of Poisar, Kandivli East. She was missing from December 8 and her father, Sudhir Thakur, had registered a missing person complaint at Samta Nagar police station on December 11.

Nandani was married to Pankaj three years back. Since then she had been staying in Poisar with him and her father-in-law. Her husband works in a dry fruit shop in Kandivli West, while her father-in-law supplies dhokla to various shops in the city. Police said her husband went to their native village at the beginning of December. Since then she was staying at home with her father-in-law.

'Phone switched off'
Nandani's parents who stay in Sakinaka had been trying to contact her since December 8, but her phone was continuously switched off. Her father visited her residence and found it was locked. The police said when he inquired with the neighbours, they allegedly told him that on December 9 her father-in-law had asked them whether Nandani had returned. Since then, they claimed they had not seen him.

Nandani's father then approached the Samta Nagar police station and reported her missing. However, the police said her father-in-law had gone to their native village and they called him back to Mumbai some days back for interrogation.

"We registered a missing complaint on December 11, and were looking for her since. When we received information about the body of a woman found at Aksa beach we called the deceased's parents who recognized her," the police officer added.

'Suspicious activities'
"We called the deceased's father-in-law for interrogation. His activities appear suspicious to us. Why did he not report to the police after her disappearance? Instead of searching for her, why did he go to their village?" said the officer from Samta Nagar police station.

The body has been sent to the JJ Hospital for post-mortem, and the report is awaited. "The case was transferred to the Malvani police (Aksa beach is under their jurisdiction) for further investigation," said Senior Inspector Raju Kasbe of Samta Nagar police station.

"We have detained the deceased's father-in-law for interrogation, and are checking the CCTV footages from the locality near her residence, Uttan, Gorai, Marve, and Aksa beaches to get some clue about the accused," said an officer from Malvani police station.