Indore (Madhya Pradesh): For nearly a week, Smriti Barnwal (42) lived with the corpse of her husband Kanhaiya Lal Barnwal (47), an act that most would find unbearable. While the world moved on, she remained inside her home with the decaying remains of her husband before her own death.
On Thursday afternoon, panic gripped the Satellite Junction Colony after the decomposed bodies of the couple were found in their house under Lasudia police station limits. Preliminary investigations suggest the man died approximately 10 to 15 days ago, while the woman died 3 to 5 days ago. This indicates she lived with her husband's body for about a week before dying.
The incident came to light when a foul smell began emanating from the house, prompting neighbours to inform the police. The cause of death remains unclear, and police have sent the bodies for an autopsy.
Lasudia police station in-charge Taresh Kumar Soni said that the bodies were discovered on the first floor of the house. Kanhaiya Lal’s body was found on the bed, while Smriti’s body was recovered from the bathroom.
Neighbours said that the couple had no children and were never visited by relatives. They rarely interacted with others in the locality, which is why their deaths went unnoticed for several days. Kanhaiya Lal was reportedly paralysed, and his wife suffered from mental health issues.
No signs of foul play
Police inspected the house thoroughly and found no signs of a struggle, theft, or forced entry. Household items were intact, and no evidence suggesting murder or suicide was recovered. Officials believe the deaths may have been caused by illness, though the final cause will be determined by the post-mortem report.
Woman found inside the locked bathroom
A police official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the investigation indicates Kanhaiya Lal died nearly two weeks ago as his body was decomposed and turned black. It is suspected that Smriti, due to her mental condition, continued living in the house with the corpse. Her body was found inside the bathroom, which was locked from the inside. She was found in a seated position with her head leaning against the wall. Police suspect she may have suffered a heart attack.
Investigations also revealed that on November 23, Smriti had reportedly asked the milkman to stop delivering milk.
Couple lived in isolation after health struggles
Their neighbour Raj Bahadur Yadav said that the couple hailed from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh and moved to Indore in 2016. Kanhaiya Lal was previously employed with a pharmaceutical company in Pithampur but had quit his job and suffered a paralytic attack about six months ago.
Since then, the couple maintained almost no social contact. Even the milkman and newspaper vendor reported that their calls went unanswered recently. Neighbours recalled that Smriti only stepped out to buy groceries and would return home immediately.
