Ghatkopar couple’s unexplained death: look into geyser gas leak, urge experts

Specialists discuss the potential causes of a couple’s strange death in their apartment’s toilet in Ghatkopar.

The mysterious untimely death of a couple, whose remains were discovered in the bathtub of their apartment in a Ghatkopar high-rise, is still unsolved, but Mumbai’s forensic experts offer their opinions on potential clues. One of them advised checking out the bathroom’s geyser. Police investigated every angle to determine the reason of the deaths of the Pant Nagar couple, Deepak Shah, 45, and Tina Shah, 39, after their post mortem results were inconclusive. On March 8th, in the late hours, their remains were discovered on the restroom floor at Kukreja Palace.

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After chatting with the locals and reviewing CCTV footage, the Pant Nagar police, who were unable to track the deceased for six hours prior to their death, had gained some insight. “Experts checked the geyser, and there were no leaks found. Chemical analysis of the materials is essential to shed more light on the couple’s death. DCP (Zone 7) Purushottam Karad stated, “We are going to write to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Kalina, to request that they analyse the samples as soon as possible and provide a report as soon as feasible. After the Holi celebration, the couple came home between 3:55 and 4 PM, according to DCP Karad.

“However, it’s still unclear whether they left home again. There is another statement of a watchman who says he saw them returning home around 9.30 pm, so there is a possibility that they had gone out again,” he added. Police have recorded the statements of 10 people, including their parents, house help, an uncle and friends who were with the couple at the Holi bash. Their families have not filed any complaint yet, the DCP said.

Meanwhile, police are also examining their call data records for the past three months. “We are calling everyone who has called or received calls from the deceased over this period. We need to check if there is anyone with a criminal background or a connection with any drug peddler,” said a cop.

Police are also looking into the last three months’ worth of phone data in the meantime. “We are phoning each and every person who called or was called by the deceased during this time. We must look for anyone with a criminal history or ties to any drug dealers, the officer continued.

the cause of deaths?

The Shahs’ situation has been brought to light as not being unique. Three more couples mysteriously passed away during the Holi celebration in the previous five years. And all of these incidents point to the same likely cause: carbon dioxide poisoning brought on by a faulty gas geyser. The couples, if intoxicated, could not have recognised the danger, according to forensic experts, because carbon monoxide poisoning brought on by a gas geyser leak frequently results in “total unconsciousness leading to heavy breathing” within a confined room.

cases in Ghaziabad

Shilpi, 36, and Deepak Goyal, 40, were also discovered dead in their bathroom’s gas geyser. According to a media source, a police officer who arrived to the scene felt smothered once he entered. Police are having trouble solving this unusual death. An international cellular company’s 38-year-old deputy general manager, Neeraj Singhania

and his 35-year-old wife Ruchi, who worked in Noida for an MNC, passed away in their toilet after participating in Holi in 2018. They passed away as a result of extended exposure to dangerous chemicals, such as carbon monoxide. Although the exact cause of their deaths was still unknown, it was later discovered that toxic gas had blocked their essential organs, according to media accounts.

Case of Karnal

Last year, a newlywed couple from Karnal, Gaurav, 26, and Shilpa, 25, passed away after participating in Holi. They were found unconscious in the restroom by their relatives.

Experts Discuss

According to experts, there are startling similarities between these cases. Dr. Harish Pathak, chief of forensic medicine and toxicology at KEM hospital, commented on the occurrence in Ghatkopar, saying, “The situation in which the couple was found dead gives rise to several possibilities. But, the fire department and the gas company should first check the geyser to make sure there are no leaks. Also, it is necessary to determine the couple’s dietary and fluid intake, which can be done by inspecting their viscera, washing their stomachs, and speaking with any acquaintances who were present.

“The stomach wash, viscera, and blood are essential to determining the cause of the deaths. If done correctly, it will reveal the precise cause, he continued. The forensic experts should search the entire flat for fingerprints or other signs of drug use, according to another forensic expert who asked to remain anonymous. “Even though the police have determined that the geyser was turned off when the doors were broken, there is a strong likelihood that one of them might have switched it off while still semiconscious,” he continued.

Electric vs. gas geysers

Because a gas geyser heats water more quickly than an electric one, users choose to put them in current fixtures. In contrast to electric geysers, which contain tanks to store hot water, a gas geyser also never runs out of hot water. The gas geyser’s incomplete combustion of LPG results in the discharge of several poisonous chemicals, including carbon monoxide, which can induce an instantaneous loss of consciousness.