Man lives with skeletons of sister, dogs

He had sealed off the windows and all other openings inside the room with tape so that the stench could not escape the room

The police remove the skeleton of a woman, Debjani De, from a house in south Kolkata on Thursday. Photo: Sanjoy Ghosh

A middle-aged man, Partha De, has been living allegedly with the skeletons of his sister and two pet dogs in his house on Robinson Lane in south Kolkata.

The skeletons were recovered after his septuagenarian father, Arabinda De, set himself ablaze in the bathroom on Wednesday evening, and the police were called in by their relatives who live next door.

During investigations into the suicide, the police stumbled upon the skeletons of Debjani De and the two dogs inside a room. The house, even the bathroom, was filled with music.

“Debjani De appears to have died in December and the dogs in August. Her maggot-infested skeleton was found on a bed inside Partha De’s bedroom and the skeletons of the dogs were found near the bed on the floor,” Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, Kolkata Police, Pallab Kanti Ghosh said on Thursday.

“Soon after the death of the dogs, Debjani slipped into depression, started fasting and ultimately died. Partha would give the skeletons food every day. He had sealed off the windows and all other openings inside the room with tape so that the stench could not escape the room.”

No complaint or case has been registered and Partha De has been sent to a mental asylum after a thorough investigation, he said.

Arabinda De died of burns. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

Adding to the mystery, Mr. Ghosh said, no kerosene bottle was found inside the house, though Arabinda De set himself ablaze inside the bathroom and the walls were covered in soot. He left behind a suicide note in English. Forensic experts are investigating.

“The suicide letter was dated June 8, which means he had been planning the suicide for some time. Partha did not appear to be normal. His room was untidy and he had a dishevelled appearance. The vocals in the music playing in the house belong to an American evangelist. The family seemed to be reclusive and living in a haze of depression. Both siblings were unmarried, and Partha left his job with the Tata Consultancy Services in 2007,” Mr. Ghosh said.