Missing Mira Road teen found dead in drain; mobile location helped police trace body

Mira Road: A 19-year-old who had gone missing after leaving for work was found dead in a drain at Maskarpada in Kashigaon, Mira Road, on Wednesday. Police traced his whereabouts using his mobile phone location before launching a search operation with the help of the fire brigade.

Investigators are probing whether the death was accidental or involved foul play.The deceased, identified as Vikas Mandal, lived with his parents in Dongarpada in Kashigaon, and worked in a private retail store. He had left home on Tuesday for his night shift and was expected to return on Wednesday morning. However, he did not return. Although his mobile phone remained switched on, he did not answer repeated calls.

His mother subsequently lodged a missing person complaint at Kashigaon police station on Wednesday morning.During the investigation, police tracked the location of Vikas’s mobile phone to the vicinity of a drain at Maskarpada in Kashimira. A police team rushed to the spot and found his bag near the drain. His mobile phone was recovered from the bag. Suspecting that he might have fallen into the drain, police sought the assistance of the fire brigade, which launched a search operation.

His body was recovered from the drain shortly thereafter.Police also examined CCTV footage from the area, which showed Vikas arriving at the spot with two friends. The two, who work at the same private retail store, are being questioned.According to assistant police inspector Suhas Kamble, the preliminary investigation suggests that the three had gone to the drain to swim and Vikas might have accidentally slipped into the water.Police said all angles, including the possibility of foul play, are being investigated. The exact cause of death will be established after the post-mortem report is received. An accidental death report (ADR) has been registered at Kashigaon police station.