Mentally Ill Woman Lives With Brother's Decomposing Body For Days Assuming He Was 'Sleeping'

In a bizarre incident, a 55-year-old woman with a history of mental illness was found living with her brother's dead body.

The body of 66-year-old Jayachandran was found Thursday morning by the family's former maid at his apartment in Madurai, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, reported The Times Of India.

Police said Jayachandran and his sister Subbulakshmi had been sharing the apartment for several years. The deceased was unmarried and had been taking care of Subbulakshmi, who had mental health issues. The deceased's sister is also unmarried.

Police said the incident came to light after a family member, who lives in the neighboring district, tried to get in touch with Jayachandran. After his calls repeatedly went unanswered, the relative called up the former maid and asked her to check on the siblings.

The maid, who arrived at the apartment, saw Jayachandran lying in a pool of dried blood in the kitchen. She immediately alerted the police and neighbors.

Authorities assume it has been two to three days since the man died as the body was in the early stage of decomposition. However, Subbulakshmi told the police that her brother was "just sleeping," reported The New Indian Express.

The police believe she had continued to use the kitchen to cook food, despite the decomposing body lying there. The neighbors too didn't suspect a thing as they remembered seeing the siblings recently.

Authorities have summoned other members of the family for questioning. Police have not registered a case as the cause of Jayachandran's death is yet to be ascertained. His body was later moved to a nearby government hospital for autopsy. An inquiry in the case is underway, police said.

In a similar incident, a mentally ill woman was reported to have spent days with the decomposing bodies of her mother and younger brother believing they were sleeping. Police were informed about it only after a neighbor noticed a foul smell coming out of the family's house. When the police arrived, the woman came out of the room, looking frail and tired. A case of unnatural death was registered and an inquiry was initiated.