Howrah: 56-year-old businessman found dead, police suspect AC smoke

HOWRAH: The decomposed body of a 56-year-old businessman, who possibly died of suffocation from the smoke of an AC that caught fire in his room, was found in his flat on Belilious Road in Howrah on Tuesday afternoon.
The police suspect Amit Munshi, who ran a business in gold and diamond, died at least three days ago. Neighbours complained of a foul stench and alerted the police, who reached the high-rise and broke open Munshi’s flat.They found him lying dead inside, while the AC was completely burnt. The stench of rotting flesh apart, a burning smell hanging in the room and cops found black spots on the wall near the AC.
Police said there could be three possible causes. “He may have died of a heart attack or food poisoning. Else, he may have suffocated to death. We are probing whether he took his life as neighbours said he had been depressed ever since his wife died,” police said.
A widower, Munshi lived with his mother, Nilima Devi, who had gone to visit his daughter in Gujarat, where she was a hotel executive. Residents of the building said they last saw Munshi on Saturday. “We started getting a stench from the flat since Monday night. Newspapers for Sunday and Monday were lying in front of his door. We alerted the Bantra police station,” a neighbour said.
ACP South Aloke Dasgupta said, “His body has been sent for autopsy.” Forensic experts in the evening collected samples from the flat, including remains of food stuck to unwashed plates in the kitchen and burnt parts of the AC.