Clue to Missing Indian?

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 182, 4 August 1938, Page 4

Clue to Missing Indian?

ARTIFICIAL TEETH FOUND IN HEDGE Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Aug. 3. The discovery in a hedge’at Taharoa of a complete set of false teeth and a complete upper denture about 10 days ago is a sensational turn in the mystery of the missing Hindu Delu Desai, whe disappeared on the night of May 7 from the store where he was assisting another countryman at Taharoa. The teeth were found by members ol the police party who have been searching daily since May 18, about the time when it was first suspected that the Hindu had been the victim of foul play No trace of the body so far has bee:i found despite the dragging of an eel infested lake and a wide search of the sand dunes. Last week a member of the large force of police in camp at Taharoa came to Auckland, bringing three dentures Many dentists in the city were interviewed, and on Monday, after an exhaustive round of dental roms, a detective approached Mr C. Munro Emanuel, a dentist in Queen street. Mr Emanuel at first said that he believed the teeth were those of the missing Hindu, but when the police made a second call yesterday, he told them that positive identification was not possible, as about three months ago in a periodic clean up of old files he had thrown out records*

However, I know that in 1932 I made a set of false teeth for a Hindu named Delu Desai,” said Mr Emanuel to a reporter to-day. Ke added that the numbers stamped on the teeth were similar to those used in his system. Without his records it was impossible positively to identify the teeth. It is understood that the police ascertained that the account for the teeth was sent in 1932 to an address which tallies with that of the missing Hindu.