Ahmedabad: A day after a decomposed body was found inside a parked Mercedes in Sarkhej, the police on Saturday identified the deceased as Pratap Valmiki, 45, a casual sanitation worker and a resident of Bodakdev.The body was discovered on Friday morning after locals alerted the police about a foul smell emanating from a garage’s vicinity. A police team reached the spot around 9.30am and traced the odour to a dust-covered Mercedes parked outside a workshop. Upon inspection, the body was found inside the vehicle in an advanced stage of decomposition. Police said the car had been parked outside the garage for nearly eight months and was reportedly up for sale. The vehicle bore a Surat registration number. Officers added that the deceased was wearing casual clothes and did not have any identification documents or a mobile phone on him, making the identification difficult. Inspector L L Chavda of the Sarkhej police station said, “The deceased was suffering from a mental illness. He was under medication.” Chavda added, “He may have entered the car on his own but might have been unable to open it later. He is suspected to have died due to asphyxiation.” Valmiki’s family filed a missing person’s complaint with Bodakdev police on March 25. Bodakdev police inspector Apurva Patel was not available for comment. Forensic teams examined the scene, and preliminary findings suggest no signs of external injury or foul play. Investigators believe the death may have occurred around 48 hours before the body was discovered. Police have questioned the garage owner and a security guard as part of a routine inquiry. Further action will be taken based on the postmortem and forensic reports, the police said.
