The Dutch mystery: Don't know if Avdhut is dead or alive, says father

Madhukar Shinde. Pic/Nimesh Dave

The 72-year-old father of Avdhut Shinde - who is absconding since his wife was found dead in the Netherlands in May - finally broke his silence in a conversation with mid-day. Madhukar Shinde, while claiming that he did not know where Avdhut was, said, "I don't even know whether he is alive or dead. He is not in touch with us anymore."

During the investigation, the Dindoshi police found that Avdhut had called his father on a couple of occasions while he was on the run. There has been no trace of him thereafter though. "I have been harassed for no reason by the cops. They visit my place at odd hours and grill me to know of my son's whereabouts but I have no clue about it," said the father, adding that he often becomes emotionally weak when he looks at his grandchildren. "They have become orphans. Everything has been ruined," said Madhukar.

"He used to call me from random numbers but now he has stopped calling after media reports revealed his whereabouts," Madhukar said while defending his son as an "innocent soul who loved his wife Sharmila".

Also Read: The Dutch mystery: Sharmila Shinde's friends seek for justification from police

Avdhut Shinde

The allegation that "it was a pre-planned murder is utter crap," said the Goregaon resident, adding, "They had a love marriage and they lived together for over a decade. They have twins. My son had sold off his car and deposited R5.90 lakh in cash into her [Sharmila's] account. Also, before taking his children and wife to the Netherlands, Avdhut had taken the School Leaving Certificate of his children's Pune school," he said, adding that Avdhut's had planned to live together with his wife and children in the Netherlands and that's why he flew down to Mumbai twice from Amsterdam and then went to Pune to meet his family. "It reflects his affection towards his wife and children and nowhere points to him being a murderer," underscored Madhukar.

"Why will a person fly his wife and children to a foreign country to kill his better half? If he wanted to, he would have easily taken the extreme step in Mumbai or Pune, why would he choose The Hague for it?" wondered Madhukar. He also said that Sharmila's brother and mother had no doubts over Avdhut's affection for her and they had thus not filed any police complaint against Avdhut. "Why are her [Sharmila's] friends rallying against my son Avdhut?" an agitated Madhukar said.

'Will visit Pune'

He added that he would soon visit the school in Pune where Sharmila was employed as a teacher and meet the authorities. "I will meet Pune Police to know how an NC was registered against my son in January when he was not in India," he said. In January, Sharmila had filed an NC against Avdhut who had assaulted her in December. Sharmila's decomposed body was recovered from the refrigerator inside her rented accommodation in Raspberry Street of the Hague on May 21. The same day in Mumbai, Madhukar Shinde registered a missing person's complaint about his son and daughter-in-law. The Dutch police claim that a revised administrative request has been made to their Mumbai counterparts via INTERPOL but Avdhut has not been arrested yet.

May 18
Day Avdhut Shinde returned to Mumbai with the kids

Also Read: The Dutch mystery: Sharmila spoke of divorce days before she died

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