02 March,2017 08:25 AM IST | | Santosh Wagh
Vidyadhar Rajbhar was last heard from a year ago, when he had called his cousin in Surat with a stolen mobile phone. A few days ago, the same phone was switched on again
Hema and Chintan Upadhyay
Did the police make the wrong call on Vidyadhar Rajbhar? He might have been assumed dead, but it turns out his cell phone is still live.
Vidyadhar, the prime accused in the double murder of artist Hema Upadhyay and lawyer Harish Bhambhani, was last heard from a year ago, when he had called his cousin in Surat with a stolen mobile phone. A few days ago, the same phone was switched on again, giving hope to the police that Vidyadhar might still be alive and within their reach.
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Vidyadhar Rajbhar is the key to solving the murder of Hema Upadhyay
A few months ago, worried that Vidyadhar had gone dead quiet, Crime Branch officials assumed the worst and began combing mortuaries across the country. The last clue they had on his whereabouts was last year, when he called his cousin on February 2, 2016. Vidyadhar had wanted to know whether the police were still looking for him and whether it was safe to return home. The Kandivli police, who were investigating the case then, had traced this phone to Chennai. But before they could catch up to Vidyadhar, he had switched off the phone. Cops discovered that the cell phone belonged to a constable in Chennai, who had lost it in January 2016.
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Investigation gets recharge
After an entire year, the phone was switched on again a few days ago, after which the police received an alert from the mobile service company. Cops had put the IMEI number on their radar and had informed mobile service companies across the state to inform them in case if the device was activated again.
Hema's lawyer Harish Bhambhani
"It seems that the user has changed the SIM card, but the phone is on," confirmed an officer.
"We can't tell yet whether it is Vidyadhar using the cell phone, but our team is tracing the user, who can surely tell us where they got the phone," he added.
Cops hopeful
"Vidyadhar has been away from his family for more than a year, hasn't spoken to his wife or family. He is not a hardened criminal, his patience will surely wear out. There are chances he will try to get in touch with his family. Police have been tracking his family members," said police sources.
Catching Vidyadhar could mean a major breakthrough in the case - not only is he the prime accused, but he is the only one who can establish whether Hema's murder was carried out at the behest of her estranged husband, Chintan.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjay Saxena said, "Our officers are keeping continuous track of him. Revealing updates on his whereabouts will hamper the investigation."
