Skull, bones found in abandoned house in Thane; police launch probe

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A human-like skull and skeletal remains have been found at an abandoned house in Maharashtra's Thane district, prompting police to launch an investigation, officials said, reported news agency PTI.

A person spotted the skeletal remains at the house located in a chawl (row tenement) at Mhatre Nagar in the Sonarpada area of Dombivli on January 3 and alerted the police, an official from Manpada police station said on Tuesday, reported PTI.

The police then reached the spot and recovered a human-like skull, bones, some clothes, sandals, bracelets, a wire hair ring, hair samples and blood-stained soil from the premises, he said.

Following a directive from a medical officer at a local hospital, the remains were sent to the government-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai for a detailed forensic examination, the official said, reported PTI.

The Manpada police have registered a case of accidental death and are conducting a probe into it, he added.

Minor girl from Palghar raped by man she met on Instagram; hunt on for accused

In another case, police have launched a search for a man accused of kidnapping, raping and blackmailing a 17-year-old girl from Maharashtra's Palghar district after meeting her on Instagram, officials said on Tuesday, reported PTI.

The victim, a resident of Valiv in Palghar, became friends with the accused through the social media platform Instagram. Their friendship turned into a love affair, following which the victim eloped with the accused to Madhya Pradesh.

She lived with the accused between February and September 2025, during which time she was allegedly subjected to torture and sexual abuse, a police official said.

The victim later managed to escape and returned to her parents' home in September. The accused subsequently began posting objectionable content, including the victim's pictures, on social media platforms to malign her and force her to come back to him, he said, reported PTI.

Earlier, in February last year, following her disappearance, her family had lodged a case of kidnapping against the accused.

Based on a fresh complaint by the victim's sister, the police registered a case against the accused on December 28, 2025, under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including 64 (rape), and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Information Technology Act, the official said.

The complaint did not specify the reason for the delay in reporting the crime. Search was on for the accused, the police added, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)