The bodies of two employees with a hotel in Mira Road were found in the hotel’s water tank late on Thursday night. The police, based on the injuries on the bodies, have registered a case of murder, while an employee of the same hotel, who is missing, is a suspect.
The deceased have been identified as Naresh Pandit (58) and Harsh Shetty (42). The police said Pandit was a cleaner at Shabari Hotel, which is fairly popular in the area, while Shetty worked as a manager. The duo were staying in the hotel along with another staff member, while the rest of the staffers had gone to their home towns following the lockdown.
“The matter came to light after the hotel owner received a call late on Thursday night. The person at the other end only said that there was a body in the water tank of the hotel before hanging up. The owner found both the bodies in the tank in a severely decomposed state, after which he informed us,” an officer at Mira Road police station said.
The bodies were taken to a hospital, where a preliminary examination confirmed injuries to their heads, and stab wounds. Based on the medical reports, the police have registered a case of murder against unknown persons under the Indian Penal Code.
The officer said they had information about a third staffer who also used to stay at the hotel, but had gone missing since the bodies were discovered. “Repeated attempts by the owner to contact him failed and we are trying to apprehend him. He had mentioned to the owner earlier that he was going to leave for his home town on June 1, and it is possible that he left as per his plans. However, the level of decomposition of the bodies places the time of death around the same date. Hence, we need to make inquiries with him to confirm or eliminate him as a suspect,” the officer said.
Based on circumstantial evidence, the police believe that at least one of the deceased was killed in his sleep and that there could be more than one perpetrator involved. The police are scanning footage of CCTV cameras near the hotel.
