Mumbai man's 'abrupt run' makes him 'prime suspect' for Dutch cops

Exclusive: Weeks after mid-day reported about the mysterious death of Indian in Amsterdam and subsequent disappearance of her husband, police declare him a wanted man

While desperate attempts are being made by the city police to trace Avdhut Shinde, the Dutch police have issued an international arrest warrant to nab him at the earliest after forensic examiners found a 'crucial' lead from the apartment he shared in the Netherlands with his wife Sharmila, where she was found mysteriously dead.

Ever since he dropped off his children at his parents' home on May 18, Avdhut has been on the run. He is said to have been changing his locations possibly in Maharashtra and Gujarat. A senior Mumbai police officer said, "We are making all efforts to trace him."

Now, the Dutch police have joined the hunt for Avdhut. An official from the Dutch police told mid-day that Sharmila's decomposed body was recovered from the first floor apartment the couple resided in with their children, located at Raspberry Street in the Hague, around 9 pm on May 21.

Avdhut Shinde and Sharmila Shinde

Also Read: The Dutch mystery: Saw injury marks on her, says woman's kin

'Found a crucial lead'

The area was immediately cordoned off and additional enforcements were deployed on the street. Then, a van of forensic examiners arrived at the spot and entered the flat. They thoroughly investigated the flat till the next day. Five days after that overnight probe, the forensic examiners visited the crime scene once again to conduct a larger investigation for hours, said the official.

Though the Dutch police official did not disclose how Sharmila was killed, they did tell mid-day that, "The forensic examiners at the Hague have collected some crucial lead from the crime scene which prompted the investigators to expedite the process to trace Avdhut's whereabouts. We have been continuously liaising with various departments, police organisations in India and Interpol."

Explaining why the Hague police have mentioned 'cardiac arrest' in Sharmila's post-mortem report, the official said, "Cardiac arrest does not only mean that she died because she was suffering from a heart disease. Violence can also cause cardiac arrest. Since her body was discovered in suspicious circumstances and her family is missing from here, so far, we cannot rule out the crime inside their apartment."

"Her partner's abrupt run from the apartment along with the children has made us declare him the prime suspect in the case. So, the Dutch police have issued an international arrest warrant to nab him. Indian police are also conducting a search for him. We are in touch with Interpol to locate his whereabouts," another official from the Dutch police told mid-day.

Also Read: The Dutch mystery: Kin, friends seek answers about beloved teacher

Teams on the hunt for Avdhut

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the cops have formed various teams and are checking all possible locations Shinde could visit. The teams are looking at ticket-booking counters at state bus depots, railways, airports as well as police surveillance to locate Avdhut. They are also checking the water-route in the coastal areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Meanwhile, a source said Avdhut's Facebook account has been deleted, possibly to evade the police, adding that Sharmila's account had been deactivated when a few of her friends began searching for her whereabouts. Reacting to the developments in the case, Sharmila's childhood friend Shweta said, "Avdhut should be hanged if he has committed the crime."

Also Read: The Dutch mystery: Cops camping in Pune in hunt for Avdhut Shinde

23
No. of days Avdhut has been missing

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