Decomposed body found in parked car opposite Nehru Stadium in Pune; man identified as Shubham Bansode

A man's decomposed body was found inside a locked car that had been left on the road opposite Nehru Stadium in Pune's Sarasbaug area. The discovery caused alarm in one of the busiest parts of the city. Police have now identified the dead man as Shubham Bansode.

Records show that Bansode had been missing for some days from the limits of Kalepadal police station. Early information also suggested that he lived in Loni Kalbhor. Police had said that his brothers were travelling to the spot and would confirm the identification after seeing the body. His name was to be officially confirmed only after that.

The four-wheeler had stood unattended in front of the stadium for two to three days. Residents of the area then noticed a very strong stench coming from it and grew suspicious. They informed Khadak police, who sent a team to the spot. A person connected with the Jain temple at Dadachi Wadi is also said to have phoned the police control room in the morning to report the foul smell. Swargate police personnel were also reported to have reached the spot and begun a preliminary inquiry.

When the officers opened the car door, they found the body lying on the seat, badly bloated. The car had stayed shut for several days, which is why the smell was so overpowering. The vehicle is described as a Maruti Alto with the registration number MH12 SF 5471. After the preliminary inquiry, the body was shifted to Sassoon Hospital for further procedure.

The accounts differ on some details. The age of the dead man is given as 25 to 30 years in one version and 30 to 35 years in another. One version says the body was one to two days old, while another puts the death at three days earlier. The day on which the body was found is also reported variously as Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

On the cause of death, police have so far said nothing definite. One account says police suspect murder and that marks of assault were reportedly seen on the body. Another account says it is not yet clear whether this is a murder or a suicide. Police say the actual cause will be known only when the post-mortem report arrives.

Several questions remain open. Investigators are trying to learn who brought the car to the spot and parked it there, and whether any conspiracy lies behind it. Khadak police are going through CCTV footage from the area closely for answers. Further details of the case are yet to emerge.