Thane: After a 21-day manhunt, the Thane Rural Police Crime Branch arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with the discovery of a headless body in Ambernath on May 29.
The accused, Salman Mohammad Gauri Ansari (25), a resident of Anas Chawl in Manda-Titwala, was taken into custody following a tip-off. The victim was identified as his stepbrother, Faisal Mohammad Gauri Ansari (29), who lived alone in Kalyan. Both were unmarried.
According to police, Salman allegedly murdered Faisal over a long-standing property dispute. Investigators said Salman was frustrated with Faisal due to frequent quarrels over inheritance issues.
Police examined hundreds of CCTV footages, checked missing person reports across the district, and circulated an image of the deceased on social media and among local publications in an effort to identify him. A parallel investigation team received information about a suspicious vehicle, leading them to Salman. Upon interrogation, Salman confessed to the crime, citing the property dispute as the motive.
“Salman was fed up with Faisal’s constant fights over property,” said Investigating Officer Mahesh Kadam. “On the day of the incident, Salman called Faisal to Titwala. They went to an isolated area, where Salman—who had brought a sharp knife—killed him. He later disposed of Faisal's head in Nashik. Our team is currently searching the area to recover it.”
The victim’s headless body, was found on the morning of May 29 in Nalambi village, Ambernath. It had been dumped near bushes and showed signs of brutal decapitation.
Local residents who discovered the body during a morning walk alerted the police immediately. Officers from Kalyan Taluka Police reached the scene, dispatched a forensic team, and sent the body to Rukhmini Bai Hospital in Kalyan for post-mortem.
Senior Police Inspector Suresh Kadam of Kalyan Taluka Police said, “The forensic team collected samples including blood and mixed soil from the scene." An FIR for murder was initially registered against an unknown person. Salman was arrested on June 18, and a production remand (PCR) was obtained on June 23.
