Skeleton of Missing History-Sheeter Recovered from Water Tank After Five Months; Five Held for Murder
PALGHAR: Authorities in Maharashtra’s Palghar district have recovered the skeletal remains of a 32-year-old history-sheeter who had been missing for nearly five months from a water tank within a residential complex in Nalasopara.
Police announced the development on Saturday. The victim, identified as Ravi Bidlan, vanished on January 15. According to officials, he faced multiple serious criminal cases, as reported by news agency PTI.
An officer from the Achole Police Station, part of the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate, explained that the case surfaced on Friday. The victim’s brother, Pankaj, provided fresh information to the police, claiming that a group had murdered Ravi and dumped his body in the water tank. A team promptly visited the location and retrieved the skeleton.
Family members identified the remains based on the clothing recovered alongside the bones. Investigations revealed that shortly before his disappearance, Ravi had allegedly assaulted Rohan Jagdale, also known as Tiger. Police believe Jagdale and his associates retaliated by attacking Ravi, striking him on the head with a stone, and then concealing the body in the tank.
The skeletal remains have been forwarded for forensic examination, with results still pending. Acting on a complaint from the victim’s brother, authorities arrested the primary suspect, Rohan Jagdale (22), along with Karan Shankar Shettyar (22), Utkarsh Anand Avasarmal (20), Shakti Sunil Singh (28), and Sumit Azad Sarsar alias Bapurna (25). All five individuals are known history-sheeters, according to police.
A formal murder case has been registered against the accused, and investigations continue.
This incident highlights the persistent challenges law enforcement faces in tackling violent crime among repeat offenders in the region. The swift action following the brother’s tip underscores the importance of community vigilance in resolving long-missing persons cases.