The mystery surrounding the death of constable Vishal Pawar remained unresolved as the Railway police wait for the report from the forensic science laboratory (FSL) to ascertain the cause of the death. A senior police officer said that CCTV footage showed Pawar was going to bars in Dadar, Matunga, and Thane on April 27 after 9.30PM and the morning of April 28. This evidence contradicts Pawar's statement to the Kopri police before his death.
According to Pawar's initial statement, on April 27, he was en route to a night shift aboard a slow local train, dressed in civilian attire and engaged in a phone conversation near the train door around 9.30PM. Suddenly, he was targeted by a fatka gang outside the train who snatched his mobile phone. Pawar got down from the train to chase the thief but was surrounded by a gang of addicts who assaulted him. One of them allegedly injected poison into his back while others forced a red liquid into his mouth, leaving him unconscious. He regained consciousness nearly 12 hours later and returned home to Thane, where his family took him to Thane Government Hospital.
However, the evidence collected during the preliminary investigation suggests that Pawar's statement was 90% inaccurate. CCTV footage revealed that he disembarked in Dadar at 11.54PM on April 27 and spent approximately 45 minutes in Hotel Vishwa Mahal Restaurant and Bar in Dadar East. He then slept at Parel station and returned to Thane around 8.30AM the next morning. Subsequently, he got off at Matunga (Central line), visited a bar in Matunga West to consume alcohol, and later repeated this pattern upon arriving back in Thane.
Although the family's statement has not yet been recorded, the police obtained a statement from Pawar's nephew, who corroborated Pawar's version of events. However, the police believe that statements from other relatives may shed light on whether Pawar was suffering from depression, had taken a loan, or had other motives behind his inaccurate statement. Apart from that, the medical report will reveal if he was addicted and whether he took any excessive doses.
The police are confident that the case will be almost closed once they receive the FSL report, given the substantial evidence they have collected. The CCTV footage from multiple stations after 9.30PM on April 27 and the morning of April 28 contradicts Pawar's statement, further complicating the investigation.
