The dead men were identified as Haresh Shetty, 48, and Naresh Pandit, 52. The bodies had stab wounds and head injuries and police believe they were murdered.
A suspect, Kallu Jadhav, who worked in the same hotel, is on the run. Mira Road Police have formed teams to trace and arrest him, said deputy superintendent of police Shantaram Walvi.
Gangadhar Shetty, the owner of the bar, said he received a call from Haresh Shetty’s phone that informed him about the murders. The police tracked the phone and its last location was somewhere near Nalla Sopara.
The two men were allegedly murdered on June 1 and their bodies were dumped in the water tank. A foul smell began emanating from the water tank on the ground floor when the bodies started decomposing, police said.
The 10,000-litre tank was built to store water supplied by the municipality and tankers for daily use. The bodies were fished out by Mira Bhayander fire brigade personnel at 1am on Friday.
Police officials believe more than four persons could have been involved in the murder. The CCTV footage from the bar is being scanned as part of the investigation.
The bar was closed due to the Covid-19 lockdown, but the staff stayed in rooms in the same building at MTNL Road in Sheetal Nagar, said Gangadhar Shetty.
“As of now, we have sent the bodies for a post-mortem examination and we have registered a case of murder against Kallu Jadhav, who is absconding,” said a police officer who didn’t want to be named.
