Skeleton of woman, dogs found in Kolkata flat

 In a case that could give a thriller a run for its money, the city police investigating the death of a septuagenarian in a fire in his home on Thursday stumbled on a man living with the skeletons of his elder sister and two dogs for the past six months.

The police investigating a fire on the second floor of 3, Robinson Street in the heart of the city found the charred body of 77-year-old <g data-gr-id="33">Arabindo</g> De, owner of the house, from a bathroom on Wednesday night.

"Following last night's incident, we had posted two constables outside De's flat. Seeing them, De's son Partho (45) reacted abnormally,"  said Pallab Kanti Ghosh, special additional commissioner of police (crime).

The police had initially thought his behaviour was due to the grief of losing his father. But when they questioned Partho, he narrated a bizarre story of his father storing his sister's skeleton and those of two pet dogs inside the house, Ghosh said.

The police conducted a search and found three skeletons allegedly belonging to his elder sister Debjani (50) and two dogs from one room and a suicide note purportedly written by the father from another room.

The note dated June 8 this year said none was responsible for his death. Ghosh said that during interrogation Partho told the police that Debjani was depressed after the death of two dogs last year and had stopped eating. She died six months ago.

"We found ample dry food near the skeletons, which Partho said he was feeding his sister and the dogs," the ACP said.

"We believe Partho could not accept his sister's death and did not cremate her body. We have sent him to a mental hospital. We are taking medical help to ascertain whether he is mentally stable or not," Ghosh said. No case has been registered in this connection.