A 64-year-old retired scientist with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) at Pusa was found dead at his quarter in West Delhi’s Inderpuri area on Thursday morning, police said on Friday. The body was badly decomposed and had been infested with maggots suggesting he died seven days ago, they added.
The deceased, Dr Yashvir Sood, lived with two siblings — his elder sister Kamla and brother Harish — in the quarter but they did not raise any alarm. Police suspected that both the siblings are mentally ill. They were admitted to Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) for treatment.
The death came to light after neighbours complained to police about foul smell emanating from dingy quarter.
“On Thursday around 9.35 am, we received complaint from Sonu Kumar, field officer at Pusa Institute about foul smell emanating from the quarters. A team of police reached the spot and found the body of Dr Sood,” said Vijay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Wes district.
Ishwar Singh, a neighbour, said, “Initially, I thought that the foul smell was due to rain. However, on Wednesday morning, I could not bear the smell. So I asked the scientist’s sister about the smell. However, she neither responded nor let me enter the quarter. That was when I called in the field officer. The elderly woman did not even let him enter, blocking the entrance to the door. Since she is mentally ill, we were left with no other choice but to call the police.”
Police took the body of Dr Sood to a mortuary. “Sood’s skin had started discolouring. We believe that Dr Sood died a natural death,” said an officer, privy to the investigation.
Dr Yashvir Sood had retired as Principal Scientist of Nuclear science department of Pusa on superannuation on March 31, 2015. His father late Ved Prakash Sood too was a scientist with the institute.
Ved Prakash Sood died at the age 54 in 1974. This left his younger son Harish mentally unstable. His daughter Kamla was married at the age of 23. But, three years later, her marriage broke off and she too fell into severe depression.
The turn of events in the family led Dr Sood to severe depression. He had turned into an alcoholic.
After his retirement, the institute authorities had asked Dr Sood to vacate the flat in E-block one-and-a-half years ago. The retired scientist had refused to give up the flat.
“Even after he was forcefully evicted, he stayed in the open ground outside his flat. Since Dr Sood was a respectable man and a man of sound intellect, the authorities offered him a shelter at a quarter on the Institute premises,” neighbours told The Pioneer
Recalling about his dear friend, a colleague said, “Dr Sood was soft spoken man and was known to be good sportsperson. He used to play badminton. He was sent to Vienna, where he had given a presentation on how soil keeps the moisture which keeps the land in equilibrium. The presentation backed by the Bhabha Research Institute was even sent to CERN.”
DCP Vijay Kumar said, “Dr Sood had not withdrawn even a single penny of his pension. Funds of gratuity have also not been withdrawn by him. Physical status of all the siblings suggests poor personal hygiene and fragile health. Sanitary condition of dwelling house is also very poor.”
Meanwhile, the body has been sent for postmortem.