DNA samples from lingerie bizman’s kin sent for tests

DNA samples from the family members of Harshad Thakkar, the chairman and managing director of Ashapura Intimates Pvt Ltd who has been missing for three weeks, have been sent for forensic analysis. A police source said the samples would be compared with those from an unidentified body found at Marine Drive on October 7, to see if they matched.

On Sunday, Mirror had reported that Thakkar, who came to the city from Gandhidham in 1993 and worked as a salesman first at his uncle’s lingerie store in Mulund, and later at an upscale store in south Mumbai, was last seen in his Dadar office on October 2. He had not taken his mobile, wallet, or passport with him.


After learning the ropes of the lingerie business, Thakkar set up his own manufacturing unit in 1999 and launched two lingerie and innerwear brands — Valentine and Tricci. In 2013, he listed his company on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

In a note he ostensibly left behind at the time of his disappearance, he blamed his rivals for manipulating the stock market and causing a dramatic drop in his company’s stock price, and apologised for letting his stakeholders down.

“I don’t want anything from anyone. I don’t have any requirements and I don’t know what will happen to me. I am asking for your forgiveness. I can’t live with burden of the fact that I am responsible for the losses suffered by so many people (sic),” the note, written in Gujarati, said.

According to the police, on October 7, the Marine Drive police found a body which had washed ashore. It had no wallet, mobile or other identification documents. The police registered an Accidental Death Report in the matter and the body was sent for a postmortem.


Thakkar’s family had lodged a missing person complaint with the police on October 8. A police source said his family members were recently called to the Marine Drive police station and were shown the body that had washed up. However, they could not identify the partly decomposed body as that of the missing businessman.

DNA samples were then taken from the family members and sent to the Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for testing.

"We have sent the DNA samples to FSL and are awaiting the report,” a senior police officer said.

“[Thakkar’s] missing complaint is lodged with us and we have recorded the statements of his family members, friends, colleagues and relatives.

As the note was left behind, we do not suspect any foul play, and our probe is on to trace him. The Marine Drive police have sent the samples to try and match it with the unidentified body found there on October 7,” said a police officer from Dadar.