Sources say note found only after kin came to cop station to check belongings
Deceased Pancharam Rithadia and his missing daughter
The case involving a missing 17-year-old girl and the death of her father several months later has taken a twist with the Nehru Nagar police claiming that the suicide note, which they found after 42-year-old Chembur resident killed himself, was planted. A fabricated version of the note was later circulated on WhatsApp, the police said.
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Pancharam Rithadia jumped in front of a running train near Tilak Nagar station on October 13 after failing to find his daughter, who has been missing since March. His family members had then alleged that he left a suicide note accusing the Nehru Nagar police of not acting on his complaints. The note allegedly also mentioned names of five people from Thakkar Bappa Colony who were accused of being behind the disappearance of the girl.
Based on the allegations in the note, Rithadia's wife Manjudevi last month filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, which sought a report from the police. Submitting its report before the HC on Monday, the cops said the suicide note was neither found by the hospital staff nor while the cops did the panchnama.
The copy of the note circulated on WhatsApp after adding another paragraph
"When the dead body was found, a man offering boot polish service at Tilak Nagar railway station, also a police witness, said he only found a tobacco packet, handkerchief and a ring that were all smeared with blood," a police source told mid-day.
"Another witness, an employee in the post-mortem department of the Sion Hospital, also found the same belongings on Rithadia. He did not find any suicide note," the source added.
The note was found at the police station when Rithadia's relatives came to check his belongings.
The cops investigating the case had initially raised suspicion on the note on the claims that Rithadia was illiterate and could hardly write.
A suicide note found along with the belongings of Pancharam Rithadia
"The handwriting in the suicide note can't be of Rithadia because he could hardly write. Surprisingly, his family hasn't submitted his writing samples yet," said another police officer. "We have Rithadia's signature which doesn't match with the handwriting on the note. Also, another paragraph was added to note and circulated online. An investigation into the same is also underway," he added.
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