Mumbai: Constable’s murder story doesn’t add up

The Government Railway Police GRP officials investigating Constable Vishal Pawarrsquos death suspect he made up a story to avoid trouble at work Pawar known for drinking too much didnrsquot show up for work on Saturday Cops informed midday that Pawar recently recovered from jaundice but died of a heart attack in the hospital on Wednesday Investigators are checking if his heavy drinking worsened his liver condition leading to his deathA thorough investigation by GRP Dadar into the case of Pawar who claimed that he was injected with drugs and later poisoned by the fatka gang near Matunga Road station on Saturday night has taken a mysterious turn The investigators have ruled out any robbery angle in the case The 30yearold Pawar was heavily intoxicated at different locations including a restaurant cum bar near Dadar station and at his flat in Thane on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon He later started to vomit around 1130 pm on Sunday according to an officer privy to the investigationPolice constable Vishal PawarAfter a series of vomiting episodes on Sunday night Pawar was first admitted to Civil hospital on Monday afternoon when a team from Kopri police recorded his statement and registered a zero FIR under sections 328 392 394 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code They transferred the case to Dadar GRP because Pawar had claimed that he was attacked by a fatka gang near Matunga Road stationAn officer stated ldquoIf we go by Pawarrsquos claims his mobile was robbed after 915 pm on Saturday by the fatka gang But the Call Data Records CDRs of his cellphone revealed that he received 15 phone calls from different numbers of his relatives on Saturday night after 915 pm All the numbers Pawar spoke to on Saturday night after 915 pm are identified and they confirmed speaking to Pawar on Saturday nightrdquoldquoThe CDRs of Pawar who claimed that he boarded a local train from Thane at 820 pm on Saturday to head to work at Byculla reveal his location in the Thane area near his rented accommodation Above all he boarded the train from Thane station at 1123 pm on Saturday and got down at Dadar station Iaround 12 midnightrdquo said a senior GRP officer requesting anonymity ldquoAfterward he headed to a bar Vishwa Mahal and then slept at Parel stationrdquo the officer continuedldquoThe next morning Pawar travelled to Matunga and then returned to Thane by 11 amrdquo the officer added ldquoOn Sunday morning at Matunga Pawar was seen browsing his phonerdquo stated another officer Pawar staying alone in Thane had his nephew Nilesh visiting ldquoNilesh stayed with him and Pawar shared the fake gang story with him before they drank togetherrdquo the officer said ldquoPawar began vomiting around 1130 pm on Sundayrdquo the police officer remarkedAfter Pawarrsquos demise his brother took his body home ldquoWe brought Nilesh back to Mumbai for questioningrdquo the officer concluded At the time of going to the press Nilesh Pawar was taken by a team from Byculla police who will also record his statementAfter reviewing over 100 CCTV cameras investigators found that Pawar fabricated a false story inconsistent with footage from railway premises in Dadar Matunga Sion Lower Parel and Thane He failed to report for duty at Byculla on Saturday The fake story tarnished GRP officialsrsquo image Consequently multiple teams from GRP and city police are working to uncover the truthCCTV footage of Pawar seen using his phone at Matunga station on SundayldquoDespite scrutinising vast CCTV footage our team of officers also conducted a march between Dadar and Matunga Road and Dadar and Parel to see if the railway premises have any exit points to know if any fatka gang members escaped the crime scene We also recorded the statements of a few farmers who farm near the railway tracks But these farmers also ruled out any such incidentsrdquo said the officerldquoWe are waiting for the detailed postmortem report to understand the actual cause of his death But we are also talking to the doctors to understand if he was really poisoned or died due to an infection in his fatty liver because he would drink a lotrdquo added the officermidday spoke to Pawarrsquos brother Sachin who said ldquoI donrsquot know at all what happened to my brother I received a call from one of his friends and was informed that Vishal is unwell and admitted to a hospital So I went there along with my cousinrdquoldquoAfter I reached there I was told that my brother is no more I fell down immediately after hearing this shocking newsrdquo Sachin told midday After getting married a couple of years ago Pawar had taken a loan to reconstruct his tattered house in his village His father Ramesh is a security guard at an automobile showroom in Jalgaon and brother Sachin is a labourer