Seven months after an MBBS student went missing at Bandstand, the sessions court recently permitted the Mumbai police crime branch to conduct a narco analysis test on a 30-year-old lifeguard who was last seen with the girl.
“The test will be conducted at the forensic science laboratory, Kalina,” a senior police officer said.
According to police, Sadichcha Sane, 22, had on November 29, 2021, boarded a local train at 9.58 am at Virar station and got off at Andheri as she was to attend the prelims in JJ Hospital at 2 pm. She boarded another train and got off at Bandra, took an auto, and went to Bandstand. Her mobile phone location indicated that she kept on roaming around through the afternoon (instead of going for prelims) at Bandstand.
“Sane was last seen heading towards the seashore opposite Taj Lands End hotel and was captured in the CCTV cameras installed at Bandstand at 12.30 am,” a police officer, who is part of the investigation, said.
The lifeguard on duty, Mittu Singh, spotted her and suspecting that she might attempt suicide, he followed her.
“Noticing that I was following her, Sane told me that she was not there to end her life. We then started chatting and sat on a rock till 3.30 am. During this period, I clicked four selfies with her in my mobile phone while Sane took one selfie in her phone with me,” Singh said in his statement to the police.
He further said, “She talked about her school and college life, also about her friends. I just listened to her and at 3:30 am she asked me to leave, saying her friend was coming to meet her. So, I left the place.”
As she did not return home and her mobile phone was switched off, Sane’s father lodged a missing person complaint with the Bandra police on November 30. The case was transferred to the crime branch unit 9 in December.
Police checked footage of all CCTV cameras installed at Bandstand and adjoining areas, but she was not seen anywhere returning from the seashore. Her mobile phone was switched off, and there were no calls, messages or internet activity on her phone thereafter.
Police also questioned several people and more than 100 auto drivers, but did not get any lead. Also, there was no transaction or withdrawal from her bank account after her disappearance.
“We have questioned her friends, family members, and relatives to get some clue about her disappearance, but haven’t got anything so far,” the police officer quoted above said.
Police inspector Sanjay Khatade of unit 9 said, “The crime branch conducted investigation from all possible angles, including technical aspects like WhatsApp messages, call records, Instagram, Telegram, and her e-mail account, but did not find anything suspicious.”
After Singh gave his consent for a narco analysis test, the crime branch approached the sessions court, which granted its permission.
“She was a bright student. While checking her Gmail account we found that during her vacation [from October 28 to November 29] she read Japanese manga, a comic series in English,” the police officer said.