Missing girl found dead same day, but family knew about it 3 months later

Family members of 21-year-old Kajol Gaikwad came to know about her death only three months after they lodged a missing person’s complaint at the Vinoba Bhave police station in Kurla (W). But they were shocked when they realised that her body was found by the Vashi police in Navi Mumbai on the same day she went missing and the police buried the body without informing the family members.

The Vinoba Bhave police have maintained that they had launched a manhunt for the girl.

“Since  there is no central control to co-ordinate between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai police stations, it became very difficult for them to identify her,” a police official said.

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has recommended the state government to have a central control room and also suggested the police officers to adopt a proper mechanism for establishing the identity of the dead bodies and search of missing persons.

The commission has asked the state to pay a compensation of Rs1 lakh for the agony and pain the family went through for over two months and also take necessary actions against the officers for negligence.

Ghatkopar resident Kajol, who worked in a photo studio, went missing on August 15. Her  mother, Surekha, filed a missing person’s complaint with the Vinoba Bhave Police Station.

Subhash Raut, a senior inspector of the Vinoba Bhave station, said, “The girl committed suicide by jumping off a bridge in Vashi. We had questioned her friends and found out that she was depressed because of her love affair. We had carried a thorough investigation, but were unable to trace the body as she was found away from the city limits. In October, we received this unfortunate information after which we informed the family. This information came to us late as the police station concerned had not contacted us.”

However, the Vashi police said that the mistake was largely with the Vinoba Bhave police. Senior police inspector L Kale said, “It was the mistake of both (the Vinoba police station and Vashi police station) investigating officers. But since a missing complaint was registered there, it is their duty to communicate with every police station. We had sent letters attached with photograph to all the stations about a body being found. If they overlooked it, it is not our fault. We have several missing cases to investigate on a daily basis and it is difficult to keep a tab, especially when the case is registered elsewhere.”

Jayashree Patil, research officer of the commission, said this case raises a question on the police mechanism in handling missing person’s complaints.

“There should be a central control room for police stations across the state, which can inquire the identity of the body by scanning through the missing person’s complaints lodged at various stations.”

Pay Rs1L to girl’s family, rights panel tells govt
The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has asked the state to pay a compensation of Rs1 lakh for the agony and pain the family went through for over two months and also take necessary actions against the officers for negligence.

It has also recommended the state government to have a central control room and also suggested the police officers to adopt a proper mechanism for establishing the identity of the dead bodies and search of missing persons.