Mumbai: Manmath Mhaiskar, 18, son of senior IAS officers Manisha and Milind Mhaiskar, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the premises of Dariya Mahal building at Nepean Sea Road on Tuesday morning. The Malabar Hill police are investigating whether the incident was a suicide.
According to police officers, the young man, who lived in Blue Heaven building at Marine Lines, left his residence at around 6.30 a.m. on Tuesday, saying that he was going to meet a friend. “Around half an hour later,” a senior Mumbai police officer said, “the police control room received a call about a youth lying in a pool of blood in the compound of the Dariya Mahal building. The information was relayed to the Malabar Hill police and a team was sent to the spot. The boy was rushed to the JJ Hospital where he was declared dead before admission. He was later confirmed to be Manmath.”
The officer said that Manmath had sustained head injuries consistent with a fall from a great height, and he is suspected to have jumped off the terrace of the 21-storey building. Dariya Mahal residents said the terrace is easily accessible and does not have railings.
A resident, who did not wish to be named, said, “He was wearing a blue shirt and black jeans, and a gold chain, when we found his body, which was face down. His wallet was near the body and had a lot of cash and business cards in it.” Security personnel told the police that he was a frequent visitor to the building, often coming to meet the Agrawal family.
Went directly to terrace
Analysis of CCTV footage from the building shows Manmath entering the lift of the ‘B’ wing, where the Agrawals stay on the 20th floor, around 6:50 a.m. After exiting the lift on the 20th floor, Manmath went directly to the staircase leading to the terrace. Around 7:15 a.m., parking attendants who were washing vehicles saw him fall in the compound.
“The attendants alerted the security guard, and one of them recognised Manmath as the same person who had entered the gate a short while ago, saying he was going to meet the Agrawals. The guard alerted the Agrawals, who identified him and called the police,” said an officer.
“An accidental death report has been registered with the Malabar Hill police station, and further investigations are under way,” said Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Rashmi Karandikar.
Milind Mhaiskar, Manmath’s father, is a close aide of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis; mother Manisha Mhaiskar is Principal Secretary of the State Urban Development Department.
Those close to the family said Manmath, his parents’ only child, was academically bright and interested in literature and cricket. During his later years in school, he had nearly completed a book on a fictional terror plot in Mumbai, which he wanted published at some point. He frequented cricket matches at the Wankhede Stadium, a few metres from his home, and accompanied his mother to even low-profile matches played by the IAS/IPS associations.
“I have known Manmath since when I was a child; we lived in the same building, went to the same school and even college. He was quite an obedient child, and took his studies seriously. He wanted to study law and cleared the entrance exam for Symbiosis,” said one of his friends, requesting anonymity.
‘He was a bright boy’
Many senior IAS officials told The Hindu that they were in shock at the news. “This has come as a bolt from the blue, and we can’t even comprehend such a bright boy taking this extreme step,” said a senior bureaucrat.
Another bureaucrat said, “It is difficult to comprehend the turn of events, more so since most of our children are of the same age and go through similar pressures.”
(With inputs from Neelomi Popat)
