Bhuj Express murder: GRP turns to WhatsApp to find murder suspect

The WhatsApp message with the suspect's CCTV image posted by GRP

With investigations reaching a dead end in the murder of a 40-year-old housewife, who was killed on a long-distance train and found when it halted at Dadar railway station, the Mumbai Central Government Railway Police (GRP) have decided to use WhatsApp groups to find the culprit.

On December 7, 2018, Dariyabai Shankarlalji Lachheta's body was found in the ladies' compartment of the Bhuj Express, when the train was being cleaned. Since then GRP officials have questioned hundreds of suspects. They had arrested a person from Mahim who looked like the suspect seen in CCTV footage. But his blood, nails and hair samples sent to the forensic lab did not match the evidence found and they released him.

WhatsApp for probe
According to GRP sources, every GRP post has been asked to get their staff added to locals' WhatsApp groups. A GRP officer said, "We have put up the suspect's CCTV image on various mediums. But people forget. So we have decided to be part of local peoples' WhatsApp groups, and keep posting the suspect's image on it every two to three days. This will keep his image on their mind and they will be able to tip us off if they see him."

"We also alerted many housing society chairpersons for any update. We checked with forensic labs to get an even clear image of the suspect. But it didn't help. So we thought of using WhatsApp groups," said another GRP officer.

The Mumbai Crime Branch's property cell is looking into the murder and the Gujarat Crime Branch is also doing a parallel investigation.

Also Read: Bhuj Express Murder: Mumbai police say this is the man who killed the woman

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