Diamond merchant found dead on rail track was abducted

Officials of the DB Marg police station at Grant Road on Wednesday started a search for the murderers of a 45-year-old diamond trader who was found dead on railway tracks at Vasai last month.

Initially, the Vasai police had assumed that the trader, Suresh Duggal had accidentally fallen off a train. It was later learnt that he had been abducted and murdered.

Duggal, a resident of Bhayander’s Jesal Park, worked from the Pancharatna building in south Mumbai. On July 27, he left home as per his schedule but did not reach his workplace, said DB Marg police officers. His family lodged a police complaint the same day.

Two days later, Duggal called his family to inform them that he had been  abducted. He said he feared his kidnappers would kill him. On July 29, Duggal’s family informed the DB Marg police about his phone call.

Incidentally, Duggal’s body was found on the same day on the railway tracks near Vasai. “Assuming that he had fallen of a train, the Vasai police registered a case of accidental death,” said sub-inspector Vijay Shinde.

“On the basis of Duggal’s phone call to his family and the postmortem report, it could be established that his was not an accidental death. The case has been transferred to us by the Vasai police. We have now registered a murder case.”

The officers investigating the case said they had found that Duggal was a simple man and had no enemies. “Neither did Duggal’s family receive any ransom call nor was he carrying any jewels with him when he was  abducted,” said another officer.

“Duggal’s phone details have revealed that he had made and received calls from Goregaon and Churchgate in the intervening days between his abduction and death,” he added.