Elderly man found dead in Pune, note found in flat states ‘corona fear’

PUNE: A 75-year-old former employee of a private automobile company was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his house on Law College Road on Monday evening. A note stating “corona fear” was found in the flat.
Senior inspector Deepak Lagad of the Deccan Gymkhana police said, “Based on the note, we suspect it to be a case of suicide.”
Police said the man stayed alone in the flat. His wife and son, an Indian Forest Services officer, live in Delhi.
A group of residents of the area performed the last rites of the man as his son and wife were unable to travel to Pune because of the lockdown.
75-year-old found dead, note says ‘corona fear’
Lagad said, “A woman cook used to regularly visit his house to prepare food, but she stopped coming after the lockdown was imposed. His neighbours would provide food to him or would invite him to have food with them.”
He said, “On Monday evening, the police received a call from the neighbours stating that there was no response or movement in the elderly man’s flat when they called him to have food. A police team rushed to the spot and broke open the door. They found him hanging from the ceiling fan.”
The police kept the incident away from media attention till news about the man’s death was posted on a few social media groups, drawing concern from citizens.
In their online condolence messages, people expressed their keenness to serve senior citizens staying alone and stressed that the elderly must not panic. They also pledged availability for help, including provision of food, medicine and emotional support.
For more than a decade now, the senior citizens’ cell has been working on maintaining contact and helping registered lonely elderly persons resolve their issues, be it emotional turmoil or requirement of medicine and help for payment of bills and services.