Man who has been fishing bodies out of Mithi helps cops find suitcase

'Kallu Ambulance', a veteran who has been fishing bodies out of Mithi, helps police find the second suitcase used to dispose of Bennett Rebello's body parts

Crime Branch officers have found another suitcase with limbs believed to be those of murdered musician Bennett Rebello, from the Mithi River, on Tuesday evening. The suitcase was retrieved by a police friend, Shahnawaz Ansari alias Kallu Ambulance.

Ansari has been helping them fish out bodies from the polluted Mithi River for the past two decades. The police are looking for more body parts in two more bags that are yet to be found.

The search operation began at around 8 am and by 5.30 pm Ansari managed to track down the American Tourister suitcase floating in the river behind the American School of Bombay. The police examined the suitcase and found the right hand and left leg in a decomposed state in it. The police also found a couple of clothes in it just as in the first suitcase that had washed ashore on December 2 at Mahim. Chopped human body parts stuffed in the suitcase were recovered first then.

With the help of a tag on the clothes inside the suitcase, the cops managed to locate a Kurla-based tailor, who had stitched the clothes which proved to be a vital clue in the case.

The police identified Rebello and eventually learnt that he was killed by his 'adopted daughter', Aradhya Patil, and her minor boyfriend. Her boyfriend has been sent to a correction home.

"During the search operation in the Mithi river, a maroon coloured suitcase was located near a school in BKC. On opening the bag, human body parts (a limb and arm) were found in it. They have been sent to a hospital. We have custody of the accused and further investigations are underway," said Shahaji Umap DCP Detection, Mumbai Crime Branch.

'Accused changing statement'

The suitcase had limbs believed to be those of Bennett Rebello

Patil was produced before the Esplanade Court where the police informed that she is constantly changing her statement about the disposal of the body.

The cops sought her custody to interrogate her about the weapons used to cut the body, as they have recovered only one of the four knives used, and to know the motive.

The court asked Patil if she has a lawyer to represent her, she said she does not. Patil has been remanded in police custody till December 16. None of Patil's family members were present in court.

Kallu Ambulance

Shahnawaz Ansari, a painter by profession, has pulled out as many as 78 bodies from the river for the police in the past 10 years. He has been fondly called Kallu Ambulance by the police. Despite not knowing how to swim, Ansari dives right into the murky river’s waters without a thought and retrieves the body. mid-day had featured him, 'Kallu Ambulance' dives into Mithi river to fish out dead bodies, on January 23, 2018.

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