Mumbai: Police officials investigating the death of Manmath Mhaiskar, the son of senior bureaucrats Manisha and Milind Mhaiskar, said on Wednesday that circumstantial evidence points to the possibility of Manmath having committed suicide.
Manmath (18), was found dead in the compound of the Dariya Mahal building at Napean Sea Road, with injuries consistent with a fall from a great height. Closed Circuit Television Camera footage shows Manmath going up to the 20th floor of the building, where his friend stays, but proceeding to the terrace instead of going to his friend's residence. The Malabar Hill police have been working on ascertaining whether his death was an accident or suicide.
“We found Manmath's bag placed in a corner of the terrace, and his two cell phones were inside the bag, suggesting prior planning. Also, security guards at the building have told us that Manmath and his friend would regularly go up to the terrace and sit atop the water supply tank, which indicates that they were familiar with the terrace and its topography. It is unlikely that Manmath could have wandered too close to the edge of the terrace by accident,” said an officer who is part of the investigation.
The police, however, have not yet been able to find a reason as to why Manmath would want to take the extreme step. Manmath was seen in CCTV footage typing something on his cell phone. However, an analysis of both his cell phones has not revealed any text messages or emails that might help pinpoint a motive strong enough for suicide, said officers.
The police, using the information obtained from his cell phones, will be contacting all the people that he spoke to on Tuesday morning and all through Monday to get a sense of his state of mind before his death. Inquiries will also be made with his friends in Mumbai as well as from his college in Pune in this regard.
