2 deaths, identities yet to be traced: Cops seek public help

Kochi: Nearly a month after the decomposed body of a man was found in an abandoned building near Ernakulam Junction railway station, police have issued a notification seeking public assistance to identify the deceased person.The body was discovered on March 20. According to police, the investigation is primarily focused on a man who reportedly went missing from the area some time ago. Police also found a laptop and mobile phone near the body. Police suspect that the gadgets were stolen ones and the deceased could be a thief who has gone off the police radar. An officer said that they were yet to conduct an autopsy. He added that they are also finding it difficult to identify a close relative of the man suspected to be the deceased. "We have only found a distant relative of the man in our crime records who has gone missing. It is unlikely to get a positive DNA match from such a distant relative," said the officer. Meanwhile, rural police have issued a notice seeking assistance to identify a man who was found dead in a well on a private property along Aluva Sub Jail Road on April 10. Police said that prima facie there was no foul play involved, as preliminary findings indicated that the cause of death was drowning. There were no other visible injuries on the body even as police are awaiting a detailed autopsy report. The deceased is presumed to be aged between 35 to 40 with a height of 161cm. The body is kept at Kalamassery Medical College after an autopsy. "We suspect that the deceased is a migrant labourer. Some people have seen the deceased in the region, but none are aware of his identity. Efforts are on to trace missing persons to make a positive identification," said an officer.