Kolkata man Partha Dey, who lived with skeleton of sister and dogs, found dead; suicide suspected

Partha Dey — the man who lived for months with the skeletons of his sister and two dogs in a building in a posh locality in Kolkata — has been found dead at his home. The police, after finding his charred remains and some indication that there may not have been an outside hand, are suspecting for the moment that he committed suicide. 

Also read: Bengali actress Bitasta Saha found dead at home in Kolkata; Facebook posts hint she committed suicide

Partha had hit headlines after it was discovered in June 2015 that he had been living in utter squallor along with the skeletons of his sister and two dogs in a house on Robinson Street in Kolkata. The charred remains of his father had been discovered in a bathroom of the house.

A medical team set up to probe the condition Dey was suffering from that led him to live alongside the deceased had been baffled when he claimed that his sister had died as early as in December 2014, and his father, who died later, knew of her death. It would subsequently be determined that Dey had been suffering from acute schizophrenia, which had manifested because of high-level depression. 

It is now suspected that this depression and schizophrenia — which experts believe were hereditary in Partha's case — drove him to suicide. What has added to the suicide theory is the presence of a matchbox and a can of petrol nearby, and the absence of any sign of forced entry. Nevertheless, the police are continuing their investigation in the case. 

What had shocked people the most about Dey initially being found living with the skeletons was that he had not only seen his sister die but also showed no sign of discomfiture when her mortal remains began decomposing. He had told the aforementioned medical board that he had not been affected by the stench because he loved his sister, and that he would from time to time crack open a window to let the stench out, but only at night.