Kolkata: A woman (35) and her ailing mother (51) had been living with the body of the former's father, Sumit Sen (64), for 72 hours in their Kasba flat. Neighbours in the Bosepukur area, concerned by a foul odour emanating from the residence and the family's unusual absence for three days, alerted cops on Monday.
Neighbours Luna Bose and Sreeyoshi Jana reported that they had not seen any of the family members since Friday, prompting them to contact a relative of the family. "The windows were shut completely, as was their practice for the past couple of years. The woman was my father's student, and that is how I know her. A few days ago, she told me from her main door that she feared for her father's life. This was already playing on my mind, and we decided to involve the neighbours and their relatives," said Jana.
The relative, upon failing to get a satisfactory response from the woman over phone, decided to visit the house with neighbours on Monday. Upon arrival, they found the door locked from inside and, after receiving no response to their repeated calls, they contacted Kasba cops.
Officers forced entry into the flat, where they found Sen's body in the living room. His wife was discovered in another room, barely alive. The couple's daughter was also present in the flat.
Both women are believed to be suffering from mental health issues.
Cops sent the deceased's wife to hospital for urgent care while the body was sent for a postmortem examination. Initial investigations suggest Sen may have died from an illness. "An unnatural death case has been initiated. The deceased retired from a private company. The locals used to take care of the family by providing them food on and off. The family stayed inside their flat most of the time," said joint CP (crime & traffic) Rupesh Kumar.
"We contacted the sister and maternal uncle of the deceased, but they are unwilling to take charge of the body for last rites," said DC (Jadavpur-SSD) Bidisha Kalita.
Neighbours described the Sens as reclusive. It was revealed that the family had been living off Sen's savings and the proceeds from the sale of their previous home on Sarat Bose Road around 2010. "They ordered food online but often failed to pay for it, and other residents of this building heard arguments," said another neighbour.
Cops are arranging for a mental health check and counselling for Sen's daughter.