In a startling disclosure, a Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer said Thursday revealed that they had found injuries on the back of businessman Mansukh Hiren’s head and neck, whose body was found near the Retibunder creek in Thane district on March 5, reports Hindustan Times.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, an unnamed source in the Maharashtra ATS, which is now investigating the death of 48-year-old Thane-based auto spare parts dealer Mansukh Hiren, has said that he might have been assaulted before his death. Hiren was linked to the bomb-laden car that was found parked outside billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s house on February 25. However, he was found dead mysteriously near the creek ten days after the bomb scare incident.
As per Hindustan Times, the ATS official said that it appeared that someone might have assaulted Mansukh Hiren with a blunt and heavy object, and it is suspected that the attack might have rendered him unconscious. The assailant(s) then put four or five handkerchiefs in his mouth and covered his entire face with a scarf, the police officer said to HT.
“The murderer might have used chloroform to make Hiren unconscious or might have used some other means because Hiren’s face was covered by a number of handkerchiefs and was covered by a mask. Perhaps, he was later (after becoming unconscious) thrown into the water,” the official added.
Forensic team says Hiren died due to drowning, ATS raises doubts
However, the test results submitted by a forensic team at the JJ Hospital have confirmed the presence of diatoms in Hiren’s body. The diatoms test is usually carried out to detect their presence in the body to indicate drowning. Even though the JJ Hospital report claims that Hiren was alive when he was thrown into the creek, the ATS investigators have raised suspicions regarding this theory.
Meanwhile, the investigating authority has now sought a second opinion from a Haryana forensic laboratory after discovering injuries on Hiren’s body.
Antilia bomb scare and death of Mansukh Hiren
On February 25, a Scorpio car with 20 gelatin sticks was found parked near Antilia, the multi-storey residence of Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai. A few days later, it was revealed that the car belonged to a person named Mansukh Hiren. The bomb-laden car was owned by Mansukh Hiren, who had alleged that his car was stolen from Mulund-Airoli link road. Hiren had also filed a police complaint about the missing car.
Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had made sensational disclosures related to the Antilia bomb scare while speaking in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha and said that the bomb-laden vehicle belonged to Hiren.
Speaking in the assembly, Fadnavis alleged that the owner of the Scorpio car, which was used to plant gelatin sticks and a threat letter outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai, was in touch with a mobile phone number that is registered under the name of Mumbai Police officer and ‘encounter specialist’ Sachin Vaze.
However, hours after Fadnavis had made a statement in the legislative assembly, Hiren’s body was washed ashore in the Kalwa creek, which only deepened the mystery surrounding the attack against Mukesh Ambani. Mansukh Hiren’s family have accused suspended police officer Sachin Vaze of murder. Following the family’s complaint, Maharashtra ATS had registered a murder case to investigate the death on March 7.
