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Human skeletal remains were found in an abandoned house in Hyderabad’s Nampally area, police said on Monday, July 14. Neighbours had believed that the house was unoccupied for several years, and the skeleton was only discovered when a group of boys playing on the street went inside the premises to retrieve a ball, according to reports.
Habeebnagar police told The Times of India that the boys who entered the premises for a ball smelled a stench near the kitchen. When they noticed the skeletal remains, they filmed a video and shared it with their friends, and eventually, the police were reportedly alerted.
While the cause of death is yet to be determined, police said the body is believed to be that of an elderly man named Ameer Khan. After his father Muneer Khan’s death, Ameer and his nine siblings parted ways and were living their own lives, Asif Nagar Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) B Kishan Kumar told the media.
“The brothers told us that Ameer Khan, who is 55 to 60 years old, was unmarried and had been living alone in the house that was in the name of two of his siblings. They haven’t been in touch since 2015. His brother, Shadab, said he used to knock on the door but when he didn’t get a response, assumed that Ameer had left town and moved elsewhere,” the ACP said. He added that the family members said they expected him to emerge from the house during the demonetisation period if he was still living there, but did not see him.
When police initially broke the lock of the house to find the skeleton, they estimated that the death occurred four to five years ago. However, they were hesitant about the body’s identification.
“We found an old mobile phone and glasses near the remains. When we turned the phone on, there were 84 missed calls from 2015. Since then, the phone has remained switched off,” the ACP said.