Decomposed body of 70-year-old found in Hyderabad flat after 40 days

HYDERABAD: Lack of electronic surveillance and non-maintenance of an entry-exit register to note the details of visitors are two of the few reasons that have delayed in identifying the missing septuagenarian dead at his home for about 40 days. Police say that they could have traced and located the missing man much earlier, if his kin had complained. However, they did not lodge a complaint and were searching for  Lakshminarayana Murthy on their own.The 70-year-old old Murthy, a retired public servant was native of Rajamahendravaram in Andhra Pradesh. Around six months ago, his daughters who work abroad, asked their parents to visit US and live with them, which Murthy reportedly refused and sent his wife to spend time with his children. 

Murthy’s daughter A Soujanya, owns a flat in Sai Maruthi Residency apartment at Rock Town Colony in LB Nagar.  On August 18, Murthy had come to Hyderabad to attend a relative’s wedding. Since then, he went missing. Nobody in his family had any clue about where he went. A few days later, they asked their relatives in city to enquire about Murthy, as his phone was switched off and they could not contact him. He did not return to his native after attending the wedding. But, they did not want to lodge a complaint with the police for some unknown reasons. 

Due to the central locking system to the main door of the house, the door was always closed and with his phone being switched off, Murthy’s relatives thought he is still missing and did not come to the house. The apartment in which 15 families live, does not have electronic surveillance and the watchman and his wife are illiterates.  On Tuesday, Murthy’s wife and daughters came to the city and went to their flat. The door was locked. When they opened the door with a spare key, the body of Murthy was seen in a highly decomposed state. Without much delay, they informed the police, but did not lodge a complaint. The same day, body was taken to Rajamahendravaram for final rites. 

Surprisingly, Murthy’s neighbours, who stay on the same floor did not get foul smell. Speaking to the Express, Venkataiah, watchman of the apartment said “I along with family had come to city and joined the job four months ago. We have seen him only once when he was entering the house and after that we did not bother much. There is no such register to note the visitor details. We only ask the purpose of the visitor before allowing them to enter the apartment. His neighbours stay out for work whole day and did not notice his presence much.”  He shared that a few relatives of Murthy had come a few times to check, but the house was locked and no body was sure whether he was inside the house or had gone somewhere. 

Responding to a query, the watchman who lives on the ground floor shared, “The house was completely closed including the windows. None in the apartment or his two neighbuoring families got the smell.”
 LB Nagar inspector P Kasi Reddy said that the family members of Murthy refused to lodge a complain.
“The death is suspected to have happened around 40 days ago. There was no sign of injury or any other reason to identify the cause of the death due to the decomposed state of the body. As his family members were disinterested in lodging a complaint, we also did not pressurise them much,” said Reddy. 

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