Police look for frequent caller in Andheri actress murder case

Having found no concrete clues in the sensational murder of former Miss Chennai and South Indian actress Bidushi Barde (23), the police yesterday pinned their hopes on tracing a suspicious caller who used to phone the young woman often.

A team of officials found out there was such a caller after going through Barde's call detail record (CDR).

Bidushi Barde

Barde's software engineer husband, Kedar, was also said to be not cooperating with the police investigation, leading to officials detaining him again yesterday for further questioning.

The police also did a crime reconstruction in Barde's flat in Manish Garden in DN Nagar, Andheri (West), all over again yesterday.
The police found that though the caller they now want to question had been in regular touch with Barde, the person's number was not saved in her mobile phone.

"There have been many calls, but a (particular) number has called many times and the number is not saved in her mobile phone, which is why the caller has come under suspicion," a police source said. "We are now getting detailed reports of the user of that number, and the person will be very soon called for questioning."

No calls after 8 am
Though there were many calls and SMSes showing in her handset, Barde neither took any call nor did she call anyone from 8 am on Monday, the day of the crime.

"Bidushi has not received a single call on her mobile phone or even dialled any number since morning that day," the officer said.

Four teams have been formed to locate all the callers who had dialed the number of the deceased on the day of the crime. Many have already been called to the police station and questioned.

The police have found three to four numbers on Barde's mobile phone from where repeated calls were made to her and which have been recorded as missed calls.

"We are tracing those numbers and will call the people these belong to for the inquiry," an officer from the DN Nagar police station said.

Visitors
The police officers investigating the case said they had recorded the statement of the watchman, Dharampal, who told them that from his seat he could see Barde's entrance since she lived on the ground floor.

"The watchman said that at 2.14 pm that day there was a person whose name is not clear on the register," the officer said. "This person and the person who visited her at 9.15 am are the main suspects."

The police are now finding out more about the visitor who came in the morning and was noticed by the domestic help of the doctor who lives on the first floor of the building.

"We are verifying her (domestic help's) statement and also finding out why wasn't the visitor seen by the watchman," the officer said. "We will question the doctor, who resides in the same building, and his maid."

Bank CCTV footage
The police are acquiring the CCTV footage from a nearby bank to get clues. There were no CCTV cameras installed in the society.

"We have requested for the CCTV recordings of the bank which is opposite the building as this could throw some light on the mysterious visitor who came to meet Bidushi at 9.15 am on the day of her murder," a police officer from the DN Nagar police station said.

Cremation
The police have also handed over Barde's body to her parents. The cremation was done by her father yesterday in the city.

A warrant officer with the air force, Barde's father, Shantanu Dash, said he was distraught and shocked by his daughter's murder.

"I know that the police will find my daughter's killer," Dash, who lives in Chennai, said.

Recap
The murder of Bidhushi Barde came to light when her husband, a software engineer, returned home to their ground floor flat in Manish Nagar around 9 pm on Monday. Barde's husband, Kedar, found her lying on the floor in a pool of blood in the passage of their flat. There were pieces of shattered glass near her body.u00a0