48 hrs later, no leads on Rajasthan auto found in Colaba

The case of a Rajasthan-registered autorickshaw, found in Colaba on Friday morning after allegedly being abandoned by three foreign nationals, remains a mystery. Over 24 hours after it was found, police still have no leads about the individuals or how the rickshaw reached south Mumbai. The Colaba police have seized the vehicle and are currently scanning CCTV footage and conducting searches in all hotels in the area.

The incident has raised a question mark on overall security and the alertness of the Mumbai police. During the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, ten Pakistani gunmen had taken a sea route to the city, via Colaba.

"We are checking all hotels, lodges and guesthouses in the area for three foreign nationals who would have arrived in Mumbai on Thursday and Friday", said Rameshwar Suple, senior inspector of Colaba police station, before adding: "CCTV footage is also being checked, but there has been no success till now. We are also checking with locals to see if anyone spotted the trio."

The mysterious autorickshaw was found abandoned in a busy corner of JA Allana street in Colaba on Friday morning. Residents claimed that despite the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in south Mumbai, local police had a lackadaisical approach as far as keeping tabs on suspicious vehicles was concerned.