JOIN USAntilia bomb scare case: Car owner's wife raises questions over his death
After her husband Mansukh Hiren, the man whose SUV was parked with 20-odd gelatin sticks along with a threatening note near the home of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, was found dead on Friday, Vimala Hiren said that he couldn't have died by suicide.
Mansukh Hiren's body was recovered from the Reti-Bunder creek at Mumbra in Thane district.
During a brief interaction with newspersons outside her residence, Vimala said, "Our car was stolen around 8 days ago....my husband was cooperating with the police," adding that he used to go to the Crime Branch on a regular basis.
"They (police) used to call him almost daily...he was cooperating...they used to make him sit the whole day," said an inconsolable Vimala.
She also said that her husband's mobile phone was switched off since last evening.
"He said he was called to Ghodbunder by an officer of the Kandivali Crime Branch named Tawde...he (Tawde) used to call him....yesterday he told us that it was Tawde from Kandivali Crime Branch....but he (Tawde) was not present when he reached...after that, his phone was switched off," she said.
Hiren's family lodged a missing complaint with the Thane police after he did not return. "We saw in the news that he had committed suicide, but that is not true...he cannot commit suicide...it is a rumour," she said.
Upon asking if she was suspicious of someone, Vimala said, "We cannot say anything....let there be a proper probe...there should be an in-depth probe."
A close family friend, Sahil Lodha, said that it was definitely not a case of suicide. "There must be a detailed probe....the entire Jain community is with the family," he said.
Hiren's stolen Mahindra Scorpio was found lying abandoned near a tree located near Antilia, the house of Ambani at the Carmichael Road residence on February 25 – and the police seized 20-odd gelatin sticks and a letter threatening Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani, the Chairperson of Reliance Foundation.
Hiren, in his statement to the Mumbai Police, had reportedly claimed that his car had not been in use for over a year and he had recently driven the car because he wanted to sell it. He said that his car had broken down, after which he parked it at the Mulund-Airoli Link Road and added that when he returned to the spot the next day, the car was missing.