Panchal’s body floats in lake
After a massive manhunt, city police traced the decomposed body of Mukesh Panchal, 34, from Chandola lake on Tuesday. He went missing since the communal clash at Shah Alam on Friday.

Additional commissioner of police incharge of sector II, Keshav Kumar said "The body of Panchal floated to the top of Chandola lake and we retrieved it around 5 pm. We have information that the body was somewhere in the lake but it is such a big lake that we were unable to locate the body. The FSL had estimated that the body will float to the top in three to four days even if weighed down with stones." He also said there was a heavy stench near the lake so Panchal’s body was suspected to be in the lake. He said that the body was retrieved by fire brigade

personnel using a floating platform.

Meanwhile, the situation in the curfew bound areas remained peaceful during the two-hour relaxation when women and children were allowed on the streets in Kalupur and Dariapur police station areas. In view of the peaceful situation in the city on two successive days, curfew will be relaxed for four hours on Wednesday morning for everybody. However following Panchal’s death there is some apprehension about revenge attacks in some areas, police said.

Mr Kumar said that no new arrests have been made on Tuesday. Police had arrested six persons on Monday for rioting.

Mr Kumar said they will try brain finger-printing technique on those arrested to get information about those were involved in the murders and rioting.

"But we will have to wait till the police remand is over and the accused are sent to judicial custody before we can go in for this procedure as prescribed under the National Human Rights Commission guidelines."

At the Chandola Lake family members of Panchal identified the deceased. Panchal was a tailor who travelled to Ghee Kanta Road for his job. Usually, he went by bus but on that fateful day he had taken a lift from Ajay Shah who was also injured in the riots. Shah is recuperating in the hospital.

Republished from The Asian Age