19 October,2023 09:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish Vaktania
File Photo
A 23-year-old Danish Mustakin Ansari was found dead after an incident in which he snatched a mobile phone and leaped into Mahim Creek on Friday. His body was recovered late at night on Tuesday, October 18 from the Cuff Parade area.
The Cuff Parade police filed an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and transferred the case to the Bandra police station for further investigation.
Ansari, a wanted accused, had remained missing following the mobile phone snatching incident on October 13. Police suspect that Ansari drowned in the Mahim Creek. Ansari's body traveled approximately 15 kilometers through sea routes and reached Cuff Parade.
The Bandra Police, in their investigative, relied on CCTV footage from the Bandra signal to identify Ansari, who resided in Nayanagar on Mahim Sion Link Road. during the investigation, the police also found out that Ansari was a proficient swimmer. He had previously been arrested for mobile snatching and assault cases, on two separate occasions in 2016 and 2017.
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The incident unfolded around 2:30 PM on Friday when Ansari snatched a mobile phone from a 20-year-old college student who was traveling in an autorickshaw. The victim immediately gave chase, attracting the attention of passersby. Fearing capture, Ansari discarded the stolen phone by hurling it against the wall of the Mahim Creek before making a daring leap from the Mahim Causeway bridge into the creek's waters.
While he attempted to swim from one side of the bridge to the other, he succumbed to the strong currents. A resident informed the incident to Bandra police, prompting a response operation by the Mumbai Fire Brigade. However, Ansari remained elusive. The police identified him through CCTV footage, registered a First Information Report (FIR) based on the victim's statement, and confirmed his identity.
"The body of the accused, Danish Ansari, was recovered from the Cuff Parade area after he drowned in the Mahim Creek. The body has been sent for postmortem and will be handed over to the family for final rites," said Senior Inspector Sanjay Marathe of the Bandra police station.
The depth of the Mahim Creek ranges from 20-25 feet, which can increase to 30-35 feet during high tide.
