04 August,2026 08:21 AM IST | Mumbai | Sarthak Mehta
Abhijeet Building on NS Road No. 11 in Juhu, where the security guard was allegedly murdered
A 40-year-old night watchman was allegedly murdered while on duty at a residential building in Juhu on the night of August 1. The body of Manoj Kumar Yadav was discovered inside an underground water tank at Abhijeet Building on NS Road No. 11 by a colleague the next morning.
Juhu police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation, with the postmortem conducted at Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital on Monday. Police said no suspects have been identified yet and CCTV footage is being reviewed, adding that full clarity on the cause of death awaits the detailed postmortem report.
According to Yadav's friends and colleagues, who said they witnessed the panchnama, his body was found with both hands tied behind his back. They also claimed there were strangulation marks on his neck, while his stomach had swollen, reportedly due to drowning.
Manoj Kumar Yadav, the deceased. Pics/By Special Arrangement
Yadav, a native of Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh, had worked as a security guard at the Juhu building for the past 15 years. He was the sole breadwinner for his wife and three school-going children, who live in Rewa.
Police said the building was largely vacant because of redevelopment. "Except for one resident, the entire building was vacant due to redevelopment. Even the remaining resident has left after the incident," said police.
However, locals claimed at least three flats were occupied in the building, which is scheduled for redevelopment after the monsoon. Police were informed about the incident at around 11 am on Sunday, and the panchnama and body recovery continued till about 3 pm.
A security guard from the area said, "I had seen him walking on NS Road No. 11 every day after his night shift since I joined here three years ago. We often exchanged smiles. This is a posh area, and I have worked in high-profile security for decades. We have never seen such a serious crime here, especially inside a residential building. It is deeply worrying."
Kuldeep Yadav, Manoj's cousin, said, "Our family is in deep shock, especially his three young children. They are inconsolable. We learnt about the incident on Sunday. Two of us travelled from Rewa to collect his mortal remains and complete the formalities. Police told us he had rope strangulation marks on his neck."
Sunil Mishra, 40
âWe were childhood friends. I came to Mumbai in 2005, and Manoj arrived around 2011. We are a group of 19 friends from Rewa working as security guards and drivers. His death has shaken all of us. I saw his body when police recovered it. His hands were tied behind his back, and there were marks on his neck. It looked like a murder involving at least two people'
