Family Found Living With 72-Year-Old Man's Dead Body For 3 Days Fearing COVID-19 Quarantine

In a shocking incident, the family members of a 72-year-old man kept his dead body inside their house for three days, fearing they would have to quarantine if they tested positive for COVID-19.

The highly decomposed body of the man, identified as Haridas Saharkar, was found in a house in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. The family had reportedly lit camphor and incense sticks next to the body to mask the foul odor.

Police said the incident came to light when Saharkar's younger daughter tried to kill herself by jumping into the sea Wednesday.

Investigations revealed that Saharkar died at his home on Sunday but the family did not tell anyone about the death. On Tuesday, the man's elder daughter, identified only by her first name Vidya, killed herself by jumping into the sea, NDTV reported. Her body was retrieved by police the same day.

Her younger sister, Swapnali, also tried to kill herself in the same manner but was rescued by some people who saw her trying to jump into the sea.

The sisters lived with their father and mother in the same house. It was not clear where the mother was at the time.

Police initially registered cases of suicide and attempted suicide. They found the father's corpse inside the house during the investigation.

Officers said fear of COVID-19, financial difficulties and family disputes led the sisters to take the extreme step, local outlet TV9 Marathi reported [Google translation showed].

Last month, a woman and her daughter in India were found living with the decomposed body of a 78-year-old man for more than a month ago. Neighbors alerted the authorities when they noticed a stench emanating from the house. The body was fully decomposed, exposing the skeleton when police arrived at the house.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.