Accident victim’s family trace him after cops circulate photo on WhatsApp

Four hours after a 38-year-old stepped out of his Panvel home after celebrating Holi with his family, his relatives learnt of his death after receiving his photo on a WhatsApp group. The man was run over by an unknown vehicle near Karnala bird sanctuary, almost 18km away from his house, said the police.

Kishor Mokal, who used to sculpt Ganesh statue was celebrating Holi with his friends and family on Tuesday and went out in the evening around 6 pm. Mokal’s family said he left with his phone and was also wearing a T-shirt but police did not find either his phone or the T-shirt on his body.

According to the Panvel rural police, Mokal’s body was found on Panvel-Goa highway near Karnala bird sanctuary – almost 18 km away from his home in Rave village in Panvel.

When Mokal did not return for over an hour and his family was unable to contact him on his phone, they started looking for him.

Meanwhile, Mokal’s body was found along the Panvel-Goa highway but the police did not know his identity. The police circulated his photo on local WhatsApp groups to help identify him.

Around 10.35 pm, an acquaintance of Mokal’s brother Kiran received a photo on WhatsApp. Kiran identified the body as his brother’s. An autopsy at a rural hospital in Panvel revealed that Mokal was run over by a vehicle.

“The spot where his body was found is not covered with CCTV camera. We will record statement of the family,” said SM Karote, assistant inspector at Panvel rural police station.

A case of causing death due to negligence and rash driving has been registered against an unknown person. The policed are yet to ascertain how Mokal reached Karnala.