- By Vivek Raj
- Wed, 15 Nov 2023 01:11 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In Baguiati, the cleaning and repair work of a vacant one BHK flat, shut for two years, took a grim turn when a skeleton was found inside a large plastic drum sealed with cement. The flat, located on the top floor of a four-storey building, had been rented by a Nepalese couple for five years starting in 2018.
Upon receiving a complaint about a foul smell from the flat's owner, Gopal Mukherjee, a police team was dispatched to the Baguiati flat. The team saw the sealed drum coated in cement and had to open the seal using iron rods and hammers.
After leaving the flat two years ago, the tenants continued paying rent but stopped paying six months ago. Following that, the landlord decided to reopen the flat for cleaning and re-rental.
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The couple, in their 30s, lived in the flat during the Covid period but reportedly moved to Nepal in 2021. The skeleton was discovered during the cleaning process and had a bangle on one hand, along with remnants of what appeared to be a nightdress. The police are awaiting the results of the postmortem to determine the gender and ascertain the time and cause of death.
Gopal Mukherjee, the owner of the building, confirmed that the tenants left in 2021 but could not provide photographs or recall their names. Although he claimed to have a rental agreement, he couldn't provide a copy. The landlord has shared a phone number, currently switched off, with the police.
Mukherjee said, that the couple had informed him about their temporary departure and assured continued rent payments upon their return. However, the payments were delayed and eventually stopped, with the tenants citing financial difficulties.
As the cleaning and repair efforts resumed, the workers encountered a foul smell when attempting to remove a sealed blue plastic water drum from the toilet.
The police are now investigating further, attempting to track the provided phone number and banking transactions related to rent payments for additional information on the deceased tenants.