Mumbai:
The family of a 23-year-old software engineer from Andhra Pradesh, who has been missing since January 5, on Thursday claimed to have found her body in Bhandup, an eastern suburb of Mumbai.
The body, found in a marshy, secluded area off the Eastern Express Highway, was charred beyond recognition. But the family of the woman, working with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in Mumbai, claimed a ring found on one of the fingers helped them identify her.
According to the woman's family, she boarded the Vishakhapatnam Express from Vijayawada at 7.30 am on January 4 to return to Mumbai to resume work after a month-long Christmas break. At around 9 pm, she spoke to her father and informed him that she had reached Solapur, around 400 kms from Mumbai, her family claimed, adding it was the last they heard from her.
Cops probing her disappearance said calls made from her mobile phone were last traced to Bhandup, where the burnt body was discovered. The techie's family, based on those inputs, arrived in Mumbai and began looking for her in that area. A foul smell emanating from the swamp, during their search, led them to the body.
The Mumbai Crime Branch, though, is yet to confirm the identity of the body and is awaiting the post-mortem report.