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Home / New Zealand

Sonam Shelar's family in India desperate for answers a year after her death

By Chelsea Boyle & Dubby Henry
NZ Herald·
24 Nov, 2019 09:00 PM3 mins to read

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Sonam Shelar was reported missing on November 17, 2018, having last been seen boarding a bus bound for Island Bay in Wellington.

Sonam Shelar was reported missing on November 17, 2018, having last been seen boarding a bus bound for Island Bay in Wellington.

Sonam Shelar's family are desperate for answers.

It's been a year since the 26-year-old was reported missing and her body later found washed up on a remote beach.

Her extended family have always worried the beautiful young woman, who was five months pregnant, might have been the victim of foul play.

But police ruled there were no suspicious circumstances and referred the case to the Coroner, whose investigation is expected to wrap up within a couple of months.

However, Shelar's extended family, who are based in India, feel like they have been left in the dark.

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The Wellington woman was last been seen boarding a bus bound for Island Bay in Wellington on November 17.

Her body was found four days later by surfers at the remote White Rock beach on the South Wairarapa coast, more than 60km from Wellington.

Last weekwas the one-year anniversary of her body being discovered and both her husband and family overseas are still strongly mourning her loss.

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Her cousin Gauri Rane told the Herald the India-based family thought they would receive the Coroner's report after six months.

"We want the Coroner's report to know exactly what happened," she said.

"We need that."

There were no security cameras where Shelar's body was found, Rane said.

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It was hard to be so far away and have nothing but questions.

After all this time, Rane said her own mother was still struggling with the loss.

Shelar's death had been "a sudden shock".

A Coronial Services spokesman said the office had been dealing with Shelar's husband in New Zealand but her family overseas were welcome to contact the office.

According to a 2017/2018 annual report it takes on average 345 days to close a Coronial case.

READ MORE
• Police increase search efforts for pregnant Wellington woman Sonam Shelar
• Body found on beach during search for missing woman Sonam Shelar
• Sonam Shelar death 'not suspicious' - police
• Sonam Shelar tragedy: Pregnant woman may have died after accidental pier fall

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Sonam Shelar's body was found at White Rock beach on the rugged South Wairarapa coast.  Photo / Mark Mitchell
Sonam Shelar's body was found at White Rock beach on the rugged South Wairarapa coast. Photo / Mark Mitchell

"The Sonam Shelar case is still active with Coroner Fitzgibbon; it's likely final findings will be completed in the coming months," said the spokesman.

"Mrs Shelar's next-of-kin is her husband, whom the coroner's office has maintained communication with.

"Should Mrs Shelar's extended family wish to be informed of coronial developments, they can contact the coroner's office."

Shelar and her husband, both born and raised in Mumbai, met via the Bharat Matrimonial website – one of India's leading match-making websites.

After they married they moved to New Zealand, where they called the Wellington suburb of Khandallah home.

Shelar's husband Sagar Shelar told the Herald he was unaware of the family's current concerns back in India.

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He said they could contact him for information about his wife's case.

Rane claimed he had not returned their messages or calls.

Late last year, Shelar told the Herald what he knew of the police investigation.

He said officers had indicated his wife might have accidentally slipped off the Island Bay pier, striking her head as she fell.

Every day at home without his wife he felt "empty and alone".

"I did everything to take care of Sonam and the baby. She wasn't lacking anything," he said.

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"I miss her completely: her voice, her smile, her everything. I dreamed of being a father and it was so close - there were only four months left to go. Now that's been taken away from me, too."

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