Woman found dead

A 35-year-old woman was found dead in an apartment complex in Fort area on Tuesday night.

The police identified the deceased as Pushpa. Circle Inspector, Fort, S.Y. Suresh said starvation seemed to have been the cause of her death. Police officials who conducted a preliminary inquest found no injuries on the dead body.

The police have detained Rukmuni, mother of the deceased, in connection with the death. Mr. Suresh said the mother and daughter rarely interacted with their neighbours and lived aloof even from their relatives.

Other residents told the police that they had not seen Pushpa for the past several months. They called the police when some of them sensed a smell of death and decay emanating from Rukmuni's apartment.

The police said Pushpa had been dead at least for three days. Her body was almost reduced to “a skin covered skeleton.”

Investigators found the apartment uninhabitable. The rooms were cobwebbed and ill lit. The windows were closed and curtained. Remains of several days old food were strewn all around the dining room and kitchen. Unwashed table ware and tepid water stood on the dining table. Cockroaches and bugs crawled all over the place.

The police said Rukmuni had a history of mental illness and she was hostile to her neighbours. Neighbours told the police that the family had no known relatives to speak off. The police have registered a case of unnatural death and investigations were on. An autopsy would be conducted on the body in the presence of Revenue officials on Wednesday. The procedure would be video recorded as court evidence.