Mumbai: 12 days on, cops find no headway in search for missing Bhandup man

Harsh Arora (left) with his family

Twelve days have elapsed since the sudden disappearance of 43-year-old Harsh Arora, yet there is still no trace of his whereabouts. Despite the relentless efforts of the Bhandup police, who are tirelessly searching for any clue to Harsh's disappearance, no conclusions have been reached. CCTV cameras in the vicinity have been checked from the time of the incident, as have hospitals and recovered dead bodies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) since Harsh went missing. Statements from family members, relatives, friends, neighbours, and office colleagues have yielded no fruitful leads.

Harsh resides with his wife, Reena, and their son at Dreams Complex in Bhandup (West). Described as a fitness enthusiast and regular morning walker, Harsh typically leaves home at 4.30 am, covering a distance of 4-5 kilometres before returning by 7 am to head to his office in Lower Parel. According to the CCTV footage from the building's lift and entrance, on Monday, October 30, Harsh left his home at 4.25 am as part of his routine. However, he did not return by 7 am.

After a few hours, Reena speculated that he might have gone to Thane, where he had given his bike for servicing. After contacting her brother-in-law to check, it was confirmed that he wasn't there. Following frantic calls to friends and family, Reena went to the Bhandup police station and filed a missing person report by 4.51 pm. Following the report, the police examined the CCTV footage from the lift and entrance Harsh used, as well as all the cameras along the route to the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road (GMLR) junction. An official from the Bhandup police station said, "He was seen turning right at the signal and walking on the service road towards Gandhi Nagar junction. He was also spotted on the CCTV near Bhandup village, but thereafter, he was not seen. We checked the CCTV camera at the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road junction, but he didn't reach there either."

A dedicated team was formed to investigate morning walkers in the area for any information on accidents or scuffles on the service road. Workers cutting grass were also questioned, but no useful clues emerged. Despite using a sniffer dog on November 2, no traces of Harsh were found. The focus then shifted to the 3-kilometre stretch from the GMLR junction to JVLR on the service road. Cops extensively searched the surrounding marshy land and nullah for any signs of a hit-and-run but found nothing.

Simultaneously, a thorough analysis of Harsh's phone calls and messages, along with statements from family, friends, and colleagues, revealed no alarming issues. Financial transactions were scrutinised, showing the family's intent to buy a flat in the near future, but no financial burdens or debts were identified.

"We have checked all unclaimed dead bodies across the MMR region. Also, we have shared Harsh's information and pictures with police stations in Navi Mumbai, Thane, Mira-Bhayander, and Vasai-Virar," stated an officer. "We are leaving no stone unturned and are urging citizens who may have seen anything on the Eastern Express Highway from 5 am to inform us," said another police officer. DCP (Zone 7) Purushottam Karad said, "Till now we have explored all the angles and have conducted the investigation from those angles, but unfortunately, we haven't achieved any success. Our dedicated team of Bhandup cops is working day and night to gather some clues. The family is also in touch with us."

Oct 30
Day Harsh disappeared