The skeletal remains that were discovered inside an abandoned house in Hyderabad on Monday appear to be that of Ameer Khan, who is suspected to have died 10 years ago, police said on Tuesday.
An old Nokia mobile phone and demonetised currency notes were found in the house, at Nampally, that belonged to one Muneer Khan. Police said Muneer had 10 children; his third son – Ameer – lived alone in the house while the remaining moved elsewhere.
The remains came to light on Monday when a video shot by a local resident, who entered the house to fetch a cricket ball that had fallen inside, surfaced. In the video, the skeleton is seen lying on his stomach on the floor of what appeared to be the kitchen. Several utensils are also seen lying around the human remains.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kishan Kumar told NDTV that the phone, whose battery was dead, suggested the skeletal remains were of Ameer. On restoring the device after repair, 84 missed calls in 2015 were found in the phone log.
“The man was probably about 50, single and possibly mentally disturbed,” Mr Kumar said. “He has been dead for a few years now, even the bones began crumbling. We found no signs of struggle or blood marks. It may have been a natural death.”
“He must have died 10 years ago. It appears that none of his siblings or associates tried to check on him,” he added.
Besides the phone, demonetised currency of notes were also found under a pillow, further supporting the year of the death preceding the 2016 demonetisation event.
The man’s younger brother, Shadab, who used to collect rent from shops in the vicinity, identified a finger ring and shorts found on the skeletal remains, the ACP said.
On Monday, a CLUES team – a specialised unit focused on investigation of a crime scene and collection of evidence – visited the house and collected samples for further examination. The human remains were transported to the mortuary for an expert examination to ascertain the identity of the dead person.
