Half-burnt body of man found

Kolkata: A half-burnt body of an unidentified man was found on Saturday morning inside an under-construction building on Nivedita Lane in Bagbazar, North Kolkata.

According to police sources, local residents noticed a burning smell around 9.25 am and, on checking, found the body on the ground floor with smoke still rising. Officers from Shyampukur Police Station arrived at the spot and sent the body for post-mortem.

Police said the man appeared to be in his 50s, but his identity remains unknown.

Cops are investigating all possible angles, including suicide and murder. One theory is that the man may have been killed and then set on fire to destroy evidence. Police are awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of death.

Residents said the building has been lying vacant for some time, although unknown people are sometimes seen entering at night. Officers from the homicide division of Kolkata Police visited the site and a forensic team collected evidence. CCTV footage from the surrounding area is being checked, and photographs of the deceased have been shared with nearby police stations and district police to help establish his identity. mpost