Car found near Mukesh Ambani’s house, gelatin sticks sent for forensic test

Officials said on Sunday that the Mumbai Police recovered a car and gelatin sticks near the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai last month.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Kalina, Mumbai will examine the car for any blood stains, hairs or any other clues to help identify the person who removed it and the people in the vehicle when it was found by Mr. Ambani The residence was erected, the official said.

He said that the lab would give its report to the police in a week.

The car, a Scorpio containing 20 gelatin sticks, was found near Mr Ambani’s ‘Antilia’ in south Mumbai on 25 February. On 18 February, the police had said the vehicle was stolen from Airoli-Mulund bridge.

The FSL official said the vehicle and gelatin sticks were sent to the forensic lab on Friday.

The official said that the laboratory would know what percentage of gelatin was in the sticks.

FSL, with the help of experts, will also try to find out if the chassis number of the vehicle was changed so that the real owner of the vehicle can be identified and in whose name it was registered, he said.

The official said that the forensic lab has taken up the case on priority and will submit its report in a week.

FSL’s General Analytical Division, and the Department of DNA and Physics will work on the case, he said.

Automobile accessories dealer Mansukh Hiren (46) was found dead in a drain in neighboring Thane on Friday morning.

Prior to his death, Hiren said in a statement recorded by police that the vehicle’s steering jammed when he was going from his shop at Crawford Market in Thane, South Mumbai, for some work on 17 February.

He left the car on the service road in Vikhroli and took a taxi, he said.

After finishing work, he met a friend and returned to Thane in his car, he told the police.

The next day he found Scorpio was missing and filed a police complaint, Hiren told the media.

While police had said that Hiren is the owner of the car, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said in the state assembly on Friday that he was not the owner.

The real owner had handed it over to Hiren for some internal work, Mr. Deshmukh said.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has started investigating the entire case.

Police said on Saturday that Hiren’s viscera has also been sent for forensic analysis.

Officials previously said Hiren’s autopsy report protected opinions on the cause of death.