Police personnel at the site where constable Dhamnaskar’s body was found on Sunday. (Source: Express photo) Police personnel at the site where constable Dhamnaskar’s body was found on Sunday. (Source: Express photo)

Even as the Mumbai Police is still recovering from the shock of an Assistant Sub Inspector shooting his superior officer and then killing himself, a constable with the Govandi police station was found dead in the Vashi creek on Sunday morning.

The police said that the constable is believed to have committed suicide by jumping off the Vashi bridge, and his family has told the police that he was worried about getting a house that he was entitled to under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority scheme.

According to police sources, the deceased has been identified as Kamalakar Dhamnaskar (47), a constable who had been posted with the Govandi police for the past two years. Dhamnaskar’s colleagues said that he used to stay with his wife and two children, a 15-year-old son and a nine-year-old daughter, in the Muktai Nagar area in Shivaji Nagar.

“Dhamnaskar had night duty on Friday, and left on Saturday morning after completing his shift. When he did not reach home till Friday evening, his wife reached the police station and asked his colleagues whether he had been given overtime. However, his colleagues told her that he had left in the morning, after which he tried to reach him on his cell phone,” said Shahaji Umap, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone I, Navi Mumbai.

Late on Saturday night, she was able to reach him, and asked him where he was.

All he said to her at the time was, “Mulanna gheun firat basu nako. Mi aaj ratri ghari yet nahiye (Don’t go around looking for me with the kids in tow. I’m not coming home tonight),” and hung up without explaining.

At around 9:00 am on Sunday, some boatmen who were putting their boats out in the creek saw Dhamnaskar’s body stuck among some rocks on the edge of the creek and called the police control room. The information was relayed to the Vashi police station.

An identity card in Dhamnaskar’s pocket helped the police identify him and they contacted the Govandi police station as well as his family.

The post mortem examination stated that he had died due to drowning, and the police believe that he jumped off the bridge into the creek while the high tide was in effect. It receded at around 4:00 am on Sunday morning, said officers.

“Preliminary inquiries with Dhamnaskar’s family have revealed that his father used to own a room in a slum in Shivaji Nagar, which was demolished under the SRA scheme some years ago. After his father’s demise, Dhamnaskar was entitled to a house under the scheme.

However, for the last 10 days, he had been worried that the process was taking too long, and would often tell him wife that he was starting to have doubts as to whether he will get the house at all. He was staying on rent while waiting for the house in another chawl, and not in the police quarters, which was adding to the financial strain on him,” said Umap.

Senior Police Inspector Khanderao Vidhate, Govandi police station said, “Dhamnaskar was with the State Reserve Police Force before being posted with us around two years ago. He had a clean record, didn’t have any problems at work, and did not come across as worried in the last few days.”

On May 2, Assistant Sub Inspector Dilip Shirke with the Vakola police station had shot Senior Police Inspector Vilas Joshi several times outside the latter’s cabin at the police station before turning the gun on himself. The matter is currently being investigated by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Mumbai News, download Indian Express App.