Bhiwandi, October 31, 2026: A 50-year-old watchman who had been missing for nearly 30 hours was found dead in a water tank on the premises of Vijay Sales at Kalyan Naka in Bhiwandi on Friday night, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and the delay in locating him.
The deceased, identified as Mangesh Shirmale, a resident of Mansarovar, had been working as a watchman at the electronics showroom for the past five to six years.
According to information available, Shirmale was on duty as usual on Thursday and was last seen leaving the Vijay Sales premises at around 2.30 pm. CCTV footage later showed him walking out of the premises at 2.32 pm. However, there was no recorded footage of him returning.
Family Searches For Missing Watchman
When Shirmale failed to return home by Thursday evening and remained unreachable through the night, his family became concerned. On Friday morning, his relatives began searching for him and visited the showroom to enquire about his whereabouts. They were informed that he had not reported for duty that day either.
The family subsequently searched for him at the homes of relatives, friends and acquaintances but failed to find any trace of him.
Body Found In Water Tank
After nearly 30 hours of searching, the family returned to Vijay Sales on Friday night. The CCTV footage was examined, confirming that Shirmale had left the premises on Thursday afternoon.
During the search, employees checked a water tank located in front of the premises, which was approximately six-and-a-half feet deep and contained an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 litres of water.
The search took a grim turn when Shirmale's body was spotted floating inside the tank. The discovery triggered panic at the premises, and the police and fire brigade were immediately alerted.
Personnel from Bhiwandi City Police and the fire brigade rushed to the spot and retrieved the body after considerable effort. Following an inspection and preparation of the panchnama, the police sent the body to Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) Sub-District Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Police Probe Circumstances Of Death
The circumstances surrounding Shirmale's death remain unclear. Investigators are examining how he ended up in the water tank and whether he fell into it accidentally or whether other factors were involved. Questions have also emerged over why the CCTV footage was not examined earlier and how his absence went unnoticed for an extended period.
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Bhiwandi City Police are investigating the case and examining all possible angles. The exact cause of death is expected to be established through the post-mortem findings and further investigation.
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