32-year-old found dead in Delhi's Malviya Nagar flat, police suspect suicide

An autopsy conducted on Saturday could not find the exact cause of death due to the extent of decomposition of the body.

The heavily decomposed body of a 32-year-old man was recovered from his rented flat in Khirki Extension in Malviya Nagar, south Delhi, on Friday evening, police said on Saturday.

According to the police, the man worked at a Public Relations firm. (Representational Photo)(Screengrab/X/@ANI)

An autopsy conducted on Saturday could not find the exact cause of death due to the extent of decomposition of the body. However, police have ruled out foul play, and suspect it to be a case of natural death or suicide.

According to the police, the man worked at a Public Relations firm. However, according to his relatives, he had not left his third-floor house since April 25.

On Friday, at around 6pm, a woman called the police control room and informed that her cousin had been missing for the past five-six days, and his mobile phone was also switched off. She also told the police that he had not been responding to the doorbell and repeated knocks on the door.

“We broke open the door and went inside. A decomposed body of a man was found inside the flat. Inquest proceedings under section 194 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) were initiated,” said additional deputy commissioner of police (south) Achin Garg .

According to the relative of the deceased, he had been living alone in the rented flat for the past one year. A few days back, he stopped going to work, and his colleagues informed his aunt about his absence, said the woman.

“His aunt informed me and asked me to check on him. I went to his flat at around 4pm and found it locked from inside. I rang the doorbell and knocked the door multiple times but there was no response. I alerted the landlord and sought the spare keys. She connected me with a key maker, who refused to break open the door without informing police. Thereafter, I informed the police,” she added.

Initial probe into the case has also suggested that the man was under work-related stress, police said. His last social media post read, “Self-motivation works when external forces don’t play spoilsport!”

Meanwhile, police said viscera and other samples have been obtained for forensic examination to find the exact cause of death.

“As of now, we have ruled out murder and any other foul play behind the death, as the main door of the flat where his body was found was locked from inside and there were no other entry and exits to the house. We are suspecting that he either died a natural death, possibly due to a cardiac arrest, or by suicide,” said Garg.

The deceased’s father had died in 2021, while his mother passed away in 2019.