3D technology helps recreate victim's face, nab murderers by Ambernath police

In a unique case probably a first in Thane and Mumbai region, Ambernath cops solved a complicated case of murder where the dead body of the victim was severed and face skinned by his wife and her boyfriend who were even arrested. The forensic team reconstructed the face of the victim on the skull using 3D technology.

In April 2017, the Ambernath police found the dead body of a man in Javsai village in Ambernath west. The body's head was severed and when they searched for it, they found the head 500 meters away in bushes. The face was de-skinned to hide the identity of the deceased who had a tattoo on his right hand. It was very clear that the person was killed in this brutal manner so that no one could trace the killers. The police started their efforts to find the deceased's identity. "With the help of the tattoo and his chappals, we started our investigation," said Sunil Patil, ACP Ambernath.

At last, the cops decided to take help of Dr Harish Pathak, professor and head - department of forensic of KEM hospital, Parel in Mumbai. "With the help of his assistant Dr Hemlata Pandey, they made a face in two months using 3D superimposition technology," he added.

The cops then took a print out of this face and posted it at public places asking people if they knew the victim. "Three weeks back we got a call from a person who said that one Bindresh Prajapati was missing since April," he said, Bindresh (30) stayed at Mahendranagar in Ambernath along with his wife and two kids.

When the cops went to his house and questioned his wife Savitri (28) about his whereabouts, she gave them confusing answers. "We also contacted his brothers in Mumbai who told us that since April they had not spoken to Bindresh," he said. And they did not lodge a police complaint as Savitri kept misleading them. During the investigation, Savitri broke down and told the cops that she was in a relationship with Kisan (35). Kisan was also their neighbour in Ambernath and was good friends with Bindresh. "In March end Kisan, his friend Rajesh Yadav and Bindresh went to a hilly area in Ambernath and got drunk. This was a dress rehearsal for the final act which took place on April 8 ," he added.

While Savitri was arrested exactly eight months after the murder on last Saturday, Kisan and his associate Rajesh were arrested on Sunday and Monday respectively.