Navi Mumbai: Body Of Missing 35-Year-Old Businessman Found, Police Launch Search For Partner Amid Mystery Car Abandonment

Navi Mumbai: A day after a car with a bullet mark was found abandoned at Khalapur near Food Mall, the body of one of the two missing businessmen was found in the bushes off Pen-Khopoli State Highway. The victim has been identified as Sumit Jain, 35, a real estate agent. His partner, Aamir Khanzada, 40, who was in the car with him, is still missing.

The duo had gone missing on Wednesday and their families had lodged complaints with the Nerul police. On Thursday, after their car was found abandoned on the expressway, the police had launched a manhunt. On Friday, the police patil of Gagode village in Pen informed the police about a body being found in the bushes off the highway.

Khanzada’s parents reside in sector 27 in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, and Jain’s family resides in sector 4 in the same node. Hailing from Murud in Raigad, Khanzada often visited his parents in Nerul and was currently staying with them. The two were partners for the last three years. According to the police, the two have no history of crime – neither were they named as accused nor had they complained of any threat. Their families said that the two had been going out together for “meetings” every day and came back late in the night.

On Wednesday, they left their homes at 11pm but did not come back, following which their families started looking for them. Khanzada’s brother came from Pune on Thursday morning after hearing the news. The car used by Khanzada had GPS, which his brother recharged and found the location at Khalapur. When he found the vehicle abandoned, he informed the police, who registered a missing person’s complaint.

The Navi Mumbai crime branch formed 12 teams and began investigating the case on Thursday night. They found a bullet mark on the rear side of the car and blood stains inside. One team is currently dedicated only to look at CCTV footage and back-trail the vehicle.

The duo went missing from the jurisdiction of Nerul police, the abandoned car was found under the jurisdiction of Khopoli, Raigad police, and Jain’s body was found on a spot in the jurisdiction of Pen, Raigad police. All three police are working together to solve the case.

Each of the 12 teams formed has been designated with different tasks, Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone I) Pankaj Dahane said. He said that a case of attempt to murder was registered after the car was found with a bullet mark. After Jain’s body was recovered, murder charges have been added against unidentified persons/s. “Two bullet shells were found on the seat. The cause of Jain’s death can be ascertained only after we get the post-mortem report,” Dahane added.