Key witnesses in pianist’s death slip away, laptop found only on Wednesday

Mumbai: The crime branch has stepped in to probe pianist

Karan Joseph

’s mysterious death, but in what could further blur the unknowns out of the case, two key witnesses – Susanna Uzma, music producer Rishi Shah’s Estonian friend and Vinod, Rishi’s full-time help – slipped out of the Bandra building where they were living with Shah, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Both were present at Rishi’s 12th floor rented flat in Concorde Apartments on the morning of September 9 when the 29-year-old

pianist

fell from the balcony. While Susanna left at around 4.30am with a handbag, Vinod got away at 6am on Thursday morning. Susanna, who Rishi previously described to TOI as “an old friend I met in Hawaii,” has probably left for Australia, claimed sources. This was her fifth visit to India.

The case was transferred to the crime branch after Karan’s relatives alleged a shoddy probe. In fact, Karan’s laptop was not recovered until Wednesday and many of his other belongings were still missing from his Khar flat. There was also the likelihood of evidence being destroyed as the search of Rishi’s apartment began only around 2pm, although Karan’s body had been removed from the scene by 9am.

Sources said Karan’s uncle and three other relatives who met police commissioner Datta Padsalgikar on Tuesday complained about the probe. “On the first day, police failed to search Karan’s rented house in Khar, neither did they try to find his laptop and mobile,” said a source. They felt police should have informed the cyber police who could have looked into his Facebook account since a lot occurred over certain posts.

On Tuesday, Padsalgikar directed a transfer of the case to the crime branch. On Thursday, the crime branch team visited Concorde Apartments. Vicky, Rishi’s other house help, who was also a witness to Karan’s fall, was escorted out by cops.