In the mysterious death of a Ghatkopar couple on Holi Day in 2023, the Rajawadi Hospital postmortem report has identified suffocation as the cause of death. However, the report did not specify the source or mechanism of the suffocation, according to the Pant Nagar police. The authorities have been awaiting these findings to conclude the case, which has remained unresolved for the past 15 months.
On March 8, 2023, the nude bodies of Tina Shah (38) and her husband Deepak (44) were discovered in the bathroom of their apartment in the Kukreja Palace building in Ghatkopar East. The couple had just returned from a Holi party in Juhu.
Following standard procedure, the bodies were declared dead at Rajawadi Hospital and then sent for a postmortem. The postmortem report initially “reserved” the cause of death, but preliminary findings ruled out “suffocation,” further complicating the investigation.
The bodies, along with the viscera, stomach wash, and vomit samples, were later sent to the Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for further analysis.
Ghatkopar Couple’s Death: One Year On, Mystery Continues; Cause Of Death Yet To Be Declared
While the police officially declined to disclose the preliminary cause of death, sources suggested it could have been due to a gas leak from the bathroom geyser or the consumption of bhang during the Holi party. Six months later, the FSL released their report, which did not determine the cause of death but ruled out poisoning from toxic substances or alcohol, effectively dismissing the theory of bhang consumption by the police.
The FSL report was returned to Rajawadi Hospital’s post-mortem department in August 2023 for a final determination of the cause of death. A year later, the hospital issued a “final” report, citing suffocation as the cause of death but without specifying its source.
Interestingly, on the same day that the Shah couple died, similar cases were reported in Lucknow and Delhi, where individuals also died after Holi celebrations. In these cases, the bodies were found in the bathroom, and the respective police departments attributed the deaths to carbon monoxide suffocation caused by gas leaks from bathroom geysers.
Mumbai: Ghatkopar Couple’s Mysterious Death Continues To Baffle Authorities 10 Months On
Police officials at Pant Nagar stated on Sunday that they have returned the report to Rajawadi Hospital, requesting clarification on the source of suffocation. “Based on our investigation and the report, this appears to be a case of accidental death, with no evidence of murder or poisoning. However, to close the case, identifying the source of suffocation is crucial. We are waiting for Rajawadi Hospital to provide this information soon,” said a senior official at the Pant Nagar police station.
