The decomposed body of a man, believed to be in his early 40s, was found floating inside an unused septic tank on the premises of a private college in Uttandi on East Coast Road on Wednesday morning.
The college has been defunct for a few years now and the compound of the institution has been a den for anti-social elements, especially during the night.
Police are probing whether it is a case of murder or accidental death.
Kanathur police sources said the body was spotted by passers-by on Wednesday morning after a foul smell started emanating from the septic tank, close to rear entrance of the college campus. The people took a closer look to find the bloated body of a man floating inside.
One of them alerted the police control room, following which a team from Kanathur police station reached the spot. They carried out a preliminary probe, fished out the body and sent it to the Government Royapettah Hospital for a post-mortem.
As the college has been defunct for over five years, some parts of the campus are frequented by people who consume alcohol there. This raises suspicion that the victim could have been murdered and dumped in the septic tank.
Investigators are also examining the possibility of him having slipped and fallen inside, police officials added.
