Man sits near parents’ bodies for 4 days
Mentally ill son was unaware they had died; Police find bodies after neighbours complain of foul smell. Little Yadav reports.
A 42-year-old mentally ill man sat next to his parents’ bodies in their 2BHK flat in Bangur Nagar, Goregaon, for four days before the police discovered the bodies on Friday.
When Goregaon police rang the door-bell on a second-floor flat at Nand Bhuvan building, Jawahar Nagar, the door was opened by Sujit Nair.
What he seemed unaware of was that his parents – Rajan Nair (80) and Chandralekha (75) – had died some time ago, though their bodies lay on the floor in the living room itself.
He had assumed that they were sleeping, and not only kept tea and biscuits next to the bodies but had even massaged their feet and applied oil to them.
“The couple’s only son, Sujit is reportedly suffering from acute schizophrenia,” said additional commissioner of police (north region) Ramrao Pawar. Earlier an employee with a noted firm, Sujit reportedly developed mental problems after suffering an accident 22 years ago and has been at home ever since.
The police said that they reached the spot after residents of the building informed them about a foul smell emanating from the flat.
“Prima facie, the couple seem to have died of natural causes as there were no external injuries on the bodies, which were in a decomposed state. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, and the exact cause of the deaths can be determined only after the report is out,” said senior inspector S Paithankar of Goregaon police station.
The neighbours told the police that they had seen Sujit going out to buy milk and eatables in the last four days but did not suspect anything.
Police said the couple suffered a host of ailments, including diabetes. Rajan Nair was a retired government employee, neighbours said.
According to neighbours, the couple would rarely step out of their home, sometimes not being seen for 20 to 30 days at a stretch.
“Even though the couple has stayed here for the past 40 years, they did not interact with us,” a neighbour said, on condition of anonymity.
The Nair family has relatives scattered across the city, but no one visited them, neighbours said.
“The family rarely interacted with their relatives,” said an officer from Goregaon police station.
One of their relatives called up three days ago and asked about Chandralekha, but Sujit is said to have told him that “Mama was sleeping”.
When asked what would happen to Sujit now, Addl CP Ramrao Pawar said he would have to be sent to an asylum as he suffers from a mental illness.