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Bengal

Son 'preserves' mother's body, tries to burn it after signs of decomposition

Kolkata: Preliminary investigation into the mysterious death of an elderly lady whose half-charred body was recovered from an apartment in Chetla on Friday night has revealed that her son had tried to preserve the body by spreading chemicals. Later, when he found that a foul smell was coming out and the body was showing signs of decomposition, he tried to burn it.

The body of septuagenarian Reba Gupta was found from her apartment at Chetla's Shankar Bose Road after the police was alerted by neighbours when they saw smoke coming out from the ground floor flat where the lady resided with her son Sanjib Kumar Gupta. He was found sitting unperturbed in a room beside which the elderly's body was recovered.

The preliminary post mortem report has revealed that she died of a cardiac arrest and her death had occurred at least 72 hours before.

The forensic team that visited the spot on Saturday stumbled upon several foreign books dealing with preservation of dead bodies with chemicals. "We have also found several chemicals inside the room that are used for preserving dead bodies. Some were on Yahudi religion and the portion of preserving the deceased was found underlined prominently," a member of the forensic team said.

The sleuths had detained Sanjib for questioning on Friday night after they found several discrepancies in his statement. He was examined by a doctor who deals with mentally retarded persons on Saturday morning. The doctor advised that he needs treatment in a mental hospital. The police later sought permission of Alipore court in admitting him to a mental hospital.

Locals have informed the police that Sanjib, who has done his Phd in the US, had worked there for a few years. He then taught at a private engineering college in Mohali but lost his job. He had also married but the relationship with her wife soon turned sour and the latter had also complained of mental torture against him and left.

The Chetla incident throws up reference of a similar instance in April last year at S N Chatterjee Road in Behala when a person was found allegedly preserving his 84-year-old mother's body inside a refrigerator for three years.

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