44-year-old Kandivli businessman goes missing in Punjab

AMBALA/MUMBAI: A 44-year-old imitation jeweller from Kandivali (E) who was visiting North India in connection with business has gone missing from Punjab.
Manoj Solanki had communicated with his staff based in Mumbai last on October 15 after which his phone hasn't been reachable. Manoj's relatives are currently traversing through parts of Punjab and Haryana to look for him.A decomposed body, matching Manoj's description, had turned up in Ambala in Haryana on Wednesday but his kin sensed it was a false alarm as unlike Manoj, the deceased had tattoos.

Manoj lived in Kandivali's Thakur Complex with his wife and three daughters. He would often travel to different cities for business. On October 12, he left from Mumbai for North India. His relatives said Manoj visited a business acquaintance, Paramjeet Singh's, shop at Jalandhar for taking orders on October 15. Till 5pm that day, Manoj was in touch with his office staff on WhatsApp. But he was unreachable at night when his business partner, Rakesh Jain, tried to call.
"We tried reaching him several times that night, but in vain. After consulting with elders in the family, we went to the Samta Nagar police station in Kandivali (E). They noted down details but suggested we lodge a complaint with Jalandhar police where he had gone missing," Manoj's brother, Mukesh, said. The family decided to take matters into their own hands and Mukesh reached Delhi on October 17 with Jain. "After making inquiries at Delhi, we went to Ambala and then to Jalandhar. On the way, we left copies of Manoj's photograph and his details at several police stations," said Mukesh.
On the night of October 18, Mukesh met Singh and confirmed that his brother had been there three days ago. The Jalandhar police recorded a diary entry on the basis of a statement given by Singh's son, Gurpreet. After analysing Manoj's phone records, the police traced his last location to Bhankarpur in SAS Nagar district of Punjab-- 175 kms away from Jalandhar-- on October 15.
Meanwhile, the Ambala police informed the family on Wednesday that a body had been found near a toll plaza on National Highway 44. Mukesh and Jain rushed to Ambala. The body had decomposed. Based on the clothes and shoes worn by the deceased, Mukesh initially believed it to be his brother. But during the autopsy at a government medical college in Haryana's Sonepat on Thursday, doctors found the words 'Sonu aur Asha' tattooed on the deceased's arms. Mukesh said his brother had no body tattoos.
Mukesh told TOI that the Jalandhar police's proceedings were very slow and they were not prompt in searching for his brother. "On the day that he went missing, Manoj was supposed to return to Delhi that day to head back to his family in Mumbai. As of now, we have no clue about his whereabouts," said Mukesh. Mumbai Police officials said they were coordinating with the Jalandhar police and were keeping Manoj's wife in Mumbai informed.