Nagpur: The badly decomposed bodies of a brother and sister and the carcass of their pet dog were found by the police at their residence in Tatya Tope area of Nagpur on January 15. Belated reports said the bodies of Mohanlal Otwani, 80, and his sister Shanta, 75, were found after the neighbours called up the police, complaining of a perpetual stench. The police had to break open the lock to enter the Otwanis’ residence.
The bodies were sent for a post-mortem examination, which revealed that Shanta had died two days after her brother Mohanlal. She had been living with the body of her deceased brother for two days, the police said. Distraught by her brother’s demise, Shanta may have died of depression, hunger and thirst, the police suspect. Their pet too, apparently, died of thirst and starvation. Interestingly, the police claim the Otwanis had lakhs of rupees in their bank accounts.
The deaths have highlighted the plight of an ageing population in Indian metros which no longer enjoy the cushion of joint families. Another social dimension is the lack of age old homes and the marked reluctance of the aged and the ailing to look for such refuge. They rather languish in familiar surroundings, even if they have money which can afford the best care.
