Palghar: The missing driver’s body was found in the Ghats of Mokhada on Palghar Nasik Road on Aug 15 who is suspected to have been murdered. The driver's whereabouts were unknown since Aug 12.
Three unknown persons alighted at Palghar Railway station and inquired an auto driver Asif Ghachi (Age 29) for a rented car to travel to Nasik. The passengers were reluctant to hire a tourist vehicle and accordingly, Asif suggested his friend Ertiga for them and shared the owner's number.
The three called the owner of the car from the mobile of an eatery where the said three had snacks and booked the trip to Nasik. Coincidentally the vehicle owner called Asif if he could drive this trip.
Asif Ghachi | Pankaj S Raut
The missing driver incident
Asif started the journey at 4.30 pm from Palghar in vehicle MH48 CK 3716 with these passengers. His phone was not reachable after 6.30 pm the same evening. The relatives of Asif had gone to Palghar Police station to register a missing complaint as Asif did not reach Nasik nor was traceable after four hours which is the estimated time to travel to Nasik from Palghar.
Meanwhile, the same car was seen passing various toll plazas on Samruddhi Highway but with unknown drivers. The car had also passed Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Aug 13.
Asif Ghachi's body found
The family members had approached Nashik Police and were trying to locate the vehicle. Similarly, after three days of Asif's missing his family and friends started to find him. On Aug 15 in the afternoon one dead body was found in the jungle ghat of Morchundi which lies between Mokhada and Trimbakeshwar. The body was later identified as Asif.
The police found a big stone Mark on the head of the deceased as well a few rope marks on the neck. Police are investigating the matter and the post-mortem of the body is expected to be done in the evening. Asif is survived by his wife and a four-year-old boy.
