HYDERABAD: The decomposing body of a 70-year-old retired public servant from Rajamahendravaram has been found in his apartment in Hyderabad. Police say they could have traced and located Lakshminarayana Murthy earlier if his kin had lodged a complaint. Lack of electronic surveillance and non-maintenance of an entry-exit register to note the details of visitors also considerably delayed finding the septuagenarian who lay dead at his home for about 40 days.
Around six months ago, Murthy’s daughters who work abroad, asked their parents to visit US and live with them, which Murthy reportedly refused and sent his wife to spend time with his children. On August 18, Murthy went to Hyderabad to attend a relative’s wedding. That was the last time he was seen in public. None in his family members had any clue about where he went after the functionA few days later, they asked their relatives in city to enquire about Murthy as his phone was switched off and they could not contact him. They, however, did not want to lodge a complaint with the police.
Since the main door to the flat has a central locking system, it appeared shut and so his relatives thought he had not come to the house. The apartment in which 15 families live, does not have an electronic surveillance and the watchman and his wife are both illiterates.On Tuesday, Murthy’s wife and daughters arrived at the city and went to the flat.When they opened the locked door with a spare key, they found Murthy’s body in a decomposed state. They immediately informed the police but did not lodge any complaint.