Missing Parle woman's body found in Palghar: We were pressing police for answers, say activist

The body of Carol Pinky Misquitta, 28, who was missing since January 24, was found in Palghar late on Thursday. Her family members, who were desperately trying to locate the Vile Parle resident, got a call from the cops late on Thursday, asking that someone accompany them to Palghar. It was only after reaching the place that they learnt that they had been called to identify the decomposed body.

Sources said the body was found in a decomposed state, and cops ruled that it was murder. Carol had left her home on January 24, carrying a laptop, mobile and charger with her on her two-wheeler, and told her family that she was going to Santacruz for some work. However, she did not return and her phone was not reachable.

Carol Misquitta, 28, had gone missing from January 24

Her family approached the cops soon after, but faced difficulty in filing a missing report. They also said that the police were not doing much to trace her. Activists roped in by friends and relatives had been raising red flags on social media, asking for a more robust response from the police.

Anita Shetty, a Kurla-based activist, said, "We had been pressing Santacruz police for some answers. We had been getting responses like, ‘karto, karto' (doing, doing). Even her scooty, the one she rode off on, was not found for these 10 days. Her widowed mother was distraught looking for her daughter on the streets. The mother and daughter were extremely close and we never thought that Carol would have stayed away from home on her own volition."

Godfrey Pimenta from NGO Watchdog Foundation said, "The family had approached us a couple of days ago to help trace her and escalate matters. Mumbai, which was once considered a safe city for women, is losing its status. If there had been a robust investigation, we probably would not have lost a young life."

A tearful cousin recalled, "Carol had once told me that she was in love. I did not ask too many questions then. We were quite close and Carol was an intelligent, compassionate person. She had recently got a good job in a financial company. Both of us live near each other and would take walks with our respective dogs. All through these days when we thought she was missing, her dog trained eyes on the gate, waiting for her beloved owner to come home." Her funeral was held on Friday evening.

10
No. of days till her body was found