Navi Mumbai: Suicide note leads police to woman’s body

DCP of Navi Mumbai Crime Branch Amit Kale shows the decomposed body of the girl

The Navi Mumbai Crime Branch solved the murder case of a 19-year-old girl, a first-year Bachelor of Commerce (FYBCOM) student, almost one month after she went missing. The police claimed that her boyfriend killed her and later died by suicide by getting run over by a train. The decomposed body of the girl was found in the forest area near Owe camp, Kharghar.

The police were searching for the body of the girl in the forest area with the help of a drone. Later, a code on the suicide note ‘LO1-501' led the police towards a tree with a similar number, and the decomposed body was traced on January 15, which was identified by the family, said the police.

According to the police, on December 12 at 10 am, the deceased, Vaishnavi Manohar Babar, 19, left her Kalamboli residence to reach SIES College in Sion.

Vaibhav Burungale, the accused and Vaishnavi Manohar Babar, the deceased

"Till late evening, as she didn't return home, her parents approached the Kalamboli police to file a missing complaint. The Navi Mumbai police, during the investigation, were not able to trace the missing girl. Hence, on January 6, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe formed a special team to trace the missing girl," said a police officer.

Amit Kale, deputy commissioner of police, Navi Mumbai Crime Branch, said, on January 6, a special team comprising officers and staff from the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) started the investigation. The special team examined CCTV footage. Vaishnavi was seen returning from college and also boarding a train from GTB Nagar railway station. "She was seen getting down at Kharghar. Later, it was established that she was accompanied by a boy and went into the forest area near Owe camp. But while returning, the boy was alone, which led to a doubt and further investigation," said a police officer.

On further investigation and analysing the girl's mobile phone, it was found that she was in continuous touch with her friend.

"It was then discovered that the friend, Vaibhav Burungale, 24, had died by suicide on December 12, the same day he allegedly killed Vaishnavi, by jumping in front of the train near Juinagar railway station. "An accidental death report (ADR) was registered regarding the same at Vashi Government Railway Police. The police found a mobile phone of Vaibhav that had a suicide note in it, stating, ‘I am behind the killing of Vaishnavi', further giving an address of Owe camp with a code LO1-501," said a police official.

Kale further said his team, headed by Atul Aher, senior police inspector, AHTU, along with forest officials, searched for the girl in the forest area near Owe camp, which is near Pandavkada waterfall. "Teams were formed to trace the girl. From January 8 to 15, every day from 8 am to 8 pm, the operation to trace the missing girl was ongoing. When we found the body according to the code mentioned in the suicide note, the family members of the victim came and identified the body. Then, accordingly, it was sent for post-mortem. The body was half in a decomposed state," added Kale.

Aher said they have handed over the body to the family members. The police, during the investigation, found that the youths had been in a relationship for the past four years. "It is believed that as they were from different castes, marriage was not possible. Hence, the girl started staying away from him and also blocked him on social media. However, the accused was also angry that she was talking to another boy after ditching him. Hence, he took an extreme step and by strangulating her in the forest. It is said that the boy did not want her to be with or marry someone else," said a police officer.