Artist Hema Upadhyay, her lawyer found murdered in Mumbai suburb; husband quizzed

Mumbai: Panic gripped Mumbai on Sunday after a double murder case came to the fore.

In a shocking incident, the bodies of artist Hema Upadhyay  and her lawyer Harish Bhambani were found in a drain in Mumbai's Kandivali on Saturday night. 

According to reports, Hema was going through bitter times. She and her husband Chintan ​Upadhyay,  also a painter, had filed for divorce in 2010.

The Baroda born artist had in 2013 filed a case against Chintan, alleging he painted obscene pictures of women on the walls of their matrimonial home in Mumbai to harass her.

Bhambani had represented Hema in the case. 

The bodies of Hema (43) and Bhambhani (65) were found with their hands and feet tied with ropes, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a police officer involved in the probe said the bodies were in "semi-naked" condition, as per PTI.

Police today questioned Chintan, besides her driver and domestic servants, Kulkarni said, clarifying nobody has been detained so far in the case.

"Police have not detained anybody yet and are only making inquiry. Police are quizzing those people who were in touch with Hema and her lawyer," added Kulkarni. 

According to some reports, a domestic help of Hema had lodged a missing complaint with Santa Cruz police station yesterday after she did not return home all Friday. The family of Bhambhani had also filed a missing complaint with Antop Hill police station since he did not return home after having told them he was going to meet a client.

DCP Zone 11, Vickram Deshmane, who is probing the case, refused to confirm whether Hema's domestic help or Bhambani's family had registered missing complaints.

Police said Bhambhani's car, in which he had left for the meeting, is still to be traced.

(With PTI inputs)