Isolated from the people around her due to the ongoing lockdown, a 65-year-old woman died in her Kandivali residence three days ago. Her death was discovered on Monday morning only after neighbours became aware of the stench of her rotting body.
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According to the Samta Nagar police, the deceased, identified as Ushadevi Semwal (65), used to stay alone in Ashirwad Society at Singh Estate in Kandivali (East).
“Ushadevi’s husband and son work in Mongolia, while her daughter stays with her husband in Virar. We were called by residents of the society around 9.30 a.m. on Monday. We sent a team to investigate, and on breaking open the door, found the decomposed body,” an officer with the Kandivali police said.
The body was taken to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali, where she was formally declared dead before admission.
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“According to a preliminary medical examination, Ushadevi died of natural causes, and based on the level of decomposition, the time of death has been placed at some time on Saturday morning. Specific details will be clear after post-mortem,” the officer said.
The police are also examining CCTV footage in and around the building, and will inquire with her daughter and son-in-law to check when they last interacted with her. Ushadevi’s husband and son have also been informed.
“Neighbours have told us that Ushadevi would regularly interact with other residents before the COVID-19 crisis began. However, the lockdown required her and everyone else to stay indoors, due to which inter-personal communication dropped to a bare minimum. For this reason, no one in the society was aware of her plight till the stench emanated from her house,” the officer said.
The police have filed an accidental death report.