Residents away, body found in locked city flat

Chennai

According to Shankar Nagar police, the two software engineers, who were staying there till the lockdown was announced in March, have been asked to come to Chennai for an inquiry.

Police said Sethupathi and Madan, working in a private IT firm, had rented the flat on the second floor of an apartment building owned by Kumar (60), a year ago. In March, Sethupathi went to his native in Sivagangai and Madan also shifted to another place.

Last month, when the house owner asked for rent, Sethupathi said Madan is in Chennai and would visit him to pay the rent. Police said a few days ago, Madan handed over the rent to a neighbour requesting to pass it on to house owner.

A couple of days ago, the neighbours noticed a bad smell coming from Sethupathi’s flat. When the neighbours contacted Sethupathi, he said he would come to Chennai only in July and sent the house keys via courier for Kumar to check.

Upon receiving the keys on Wednesday evening, Kumar, on Thursday morning opened the house to see a body of a man covered in a bedsheet.

Shankar Nagar police, after being informed, recovered the body and sent it to the Chromepet government hospital. Police said the body was in a decomposed state and the death could have happened a week ago.

The police, who registered a case, said they can proceed only after inquiring Sethupathi and Madan once they return to Chennai.