Decomposed body of woman found in Delhi home, husband in critical condition

Their son, Imran alias Shally, aged around 50 years, who is intellectually challenged and has a history of psychiatric illness, was also in the house. He was speaking from inside but did not open the door, police said.

New Delhi: The decomposed body of a 65-year-old woman was found in her apartment in Jamia Nagar here, while her husband, a retired music teacher from Jamia Millia Islamia, was rescued in a critical condition, police said on Monday.

Their son, Imran alias Shally, aged around 50 years, who is intellectually challenged and has a history of psychiatric illness, was also in the house. He was speaking from inside but did not open the door, they said.

According to police, a PCR call was received at 11:10 pm on September 21 regarding a body at Gaffar Manzil in Jamia Nagar. The caller informed that his sister and brother-in-law were not responding, and their son was not opening the door.

Police reached the spot and broke open the door. Inside, they found the decomposed body of Aftab Jehan on the bed. Her husband, Siraz Khan, 70, was lying beside her in a fragile condition. He was rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said.

"During questioning, the son could not speak comprehensively and kept saying his parents were sleeping. He had confined himself to the flat for three to four days without food and could not call for help," the DCP said.

Prima facie, the woman appears to have died a natural death due to illness. The body was highly decomposed, and no external injuries were observed. The exact cause of death will be ascertained after post-mortem examination, the officer said.

The couple’s daughter, who lives in Hong Kong, had been trying to contact her family for the past few days. When she failed to reach them, she requested her maternal uncle, W Ahmed Khan, a local resident, to check on the family. He eventually made the PCR call, police said.

Police said Imran was taken to IHBAS Hospital, Shahdara, and subsequently shifted to GTB Hospital after no relatives came forward to accompany him.

The crime team has inspected the spot, and proceedings under Section 176 of BNSS are being conducted, officials said.