04 May,2011 07:59 AM IST | | Sayed Roshan
Neighbours confuse the foul smell of a three-day decomposed body with that of a dead rodent
Residents of BDD chawl were in for a shock when they found a three-day old decomposed body of 45-year-old Manjula Khopkar in her house. Her body was found at the base of a stairway that leads to a mezzanine floor inside her one-room apartment. According to the police, Khopkar stayed alone in the house and must have been climbing the stairs in her house, when she slipped and died of head injuries sustained during the fall.
They ruled out any foul play because there were no signs of robbery in the house or any struggle marks on the body.
Stinking up the place: The building where Manjula Khopkar's corpse
was found rotting
Khopkar's death came to light when the residents noticed a strong stench emanating from their building.
Gulnar Sheikh, who stays opposite Khopkar's house, said, "We thought that a rat had died somewhere and that was causing the smell. So we went out to search for it, however later realised that the smell was coming from her place. We knocked the door but nobody answered. Later we tried opening the window from the back of the house and found her decomposed body on the floor" The residents called for the police immediately.
"We have registered a case of accidental death and the body has been sent to Nair Hospital for the post mortem. She must have died few days back," said Senior Inspector Vasant Tajne of Worli Police station.
Nitish Kamble, son-in-law of the victim said, "She was not ill at all. We were in touch with her, but had not spoken to her for the last few days. We are in shock." Khopkar was staying alone at her residence after her daughter got married five months ago.
