Thane: A 60-year-old security guard was found dead on Sunday in the open basement area of an under-construction project in Thane, police said.The deceased has been identified as Ashok Salunkhe who was working as a contract security guard at SATIS-2 project site.Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme (SATIS-2) project in Thane (East) is a multimodal transit initiative by the municipal corporation designed to declog station-area traffic, separate pedestrian and vehicular movement, and build a massive multi-tier public transport deck.Salunkhe had completed his usual shift from 8 am to 8 pm on Saturday but failed to return home in Kopri. Following an overnight search, his family members located his body on Sunday morning in the project’s basement area and immediately informed the Kopri Police.A preliminary investigation and eyewitnesses’ accounts indicate visible signs of severe physical assault on the body, along with a severed finger, a police officer said, adding that the exact cause of death will be confirmed once the autopsy report is received.He said police are examining whether Salunkhe was attacked during an altercation with trespassers or intoxicated individuals and scanning CCTV camera footage.