MUMBAI: The body of a 22-year-old man, with the head severed, was found at a desolate spot in Aarey Colonyin Goregaon (east) on Thursday four days after he had been reported missing.A passerby spotted the body of Brandon Gonsalves, a resident of Goregaon (east), around 12.30pm. He had left home on Sunday morning to go to Aarey Colony for a walk but never. “His body, which had no clothes on, was found lying about 50 metres from the road abutting Aarey Colony .A set of clothes was found lying a few metres from the body. The severed head was found lying about 20 metres from there amid thick bushes,” said deputy commissioner of police (zone XII) Kirankumar Chavan. He said they had established Gonsalves’s identity after poring over complaints of missing persons that had been registered across various police stations. “The description of the body quite matched details in a missing person’s complaint that had been registered at Dindoshi police station,” said a police officer.
Gonsalves hailed from a middle-class family. His father died three years ago and he lived with his mother and sister at Padmavati Cooperative Housing Society in Goregaon (east). Gonsalves, who was not employed, had been pursuing a graduation deg ree in arts from which he had dropped out.
A neighbour said that a cross was found tattooed on the forehead. “He had had a fight with some friends a few days ago,” said the neighbour, adding that Gonsalves’s mother sought his help when he did not return till noon.
The police said that they suspect that Gonsalves’s head was severed after he was murdered. “He had left his cellphone at home. We will track his call records for clues. ,” said an officer from Aarey Colony police station where a case of murder has been registered.