An inventory of valuables in the Bhandari residence, in which three members of the family were found hacked to death on Thursday morning, has confirmed that jewellery and cash worth Rs 92,000 is missing. The discovery has further strengthened robbery as a motive behind the murders.
On Thursday morning, Shankar Bhandari (60), his wife Phasubai (47) and their youngest son Sunny (22), were found dead in their residence in the Karawale village in Ambarnath. The house had been ransacked and cupboards had been forced open.
On Friday, the police, with the help of the surviving members of the family, conducted a comprehensive inventory of all the valuables in the house, including cash, jewellery and electronic gadgets.
An officer with the Hill Line police, said: “We have found out that a lot of gold jewellery, as well as some cash, which was in the cupboard in Shankar and Phasubai’s bedroom, is missing. We suspect that it was taken by the killers. A case of a violent robbery is the strongest possibility.”
The officer said that inquiries had now been initiated to find out the movements and actions of repeat offenders with a history of violent robbery on the night of the murders. The police are rounding up all such suspects for questioning, while teams are also canvassing the neighbourhood to check if any of the neighbours saw anyone suspicious going towards or away from the Bhandari residence.
“It was raining heavily on the night of the murders and no one was out of doors, which has minimised the possibility of eye witnesses,” another officer said.
Investigating officials said that the Bhandari family is an affluent one in the Karawale village and is well known.
The police have also sent several samples of evidence collected from the house, including three axes with bloodstains on them, to the Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Kalina for analysis.
