Mumbai, april 30: A 77-year-old former priest was found dead is his residence on Thursday morning. He used to live in his flat located above a chapel on the Bhabola Sadhor road in Vasai west.
Police officials claim that they found the man lying in a pool of blood with a pair of scissors sticking out of his mouth. Peter Bombacha, who had the chapel keys with him, would hand it over to the chapel members every morning. “Every morning, when the members gathered outside the chapel, they would call Peter Bombacha who would either toss the keys down from his window or come down. However, on Thursday morning, when the members called out for Bombacha, he did not respond,” said a police officer.
After the members went away, around 6 am, a lady doctor residing in the area decided to check on him and went up to his flat. When she reached there, the grilled door of his flat was closed but she could see the body lying on the floor. After alerting the locals, the police was informed about the incident.
When the police reached the spot, they saw the body of Bombacha lying on the floor with a pair of scissors sticking out of his mouth. “There were four-stab injuries on his body and a rope was also found around his neck. We have registered a case of murder and are conducting enquiries in the matter,” said senior police inspector Rajendra Naik of the Vasai police station. The body has been sent to a hospital for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Local residents said Bombacha had been opposing a construction project in the locality due to the noise it created. Bombacha also ran an alcoholics anonymous clinic and would often distribute free medicines for minor ailments, which had made him quite popular with the local residents.
—Agencies