Kochi: The decomposed body of a woman was found inside a parked car at an apartment complex in Kochi on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Anila Thomas, who had reportedly been living alone in the apartment complex at Choornikkara near Aluva for the past three months.

Her body was found on the rear seat of a car belonging to another resident at the apartment complex on Thursday evening.

According to the police, the vehicle had remained unused for a prolonged period after its road tax expired. As a result, residents had not paid much attention to the car, and the body reportedly remained unnoticed.

“The body has decomposed, and we suspect it is approximately two days old. She is a native of Kalladikode in Mannarkad in Palakkad. We are checking her family background,” a police officer told Onmanorama. “It was found in the car of another resident living in the flat. The residents reported that they simply hadn't noticed anything unusual earlier,” the officer added.

The officer said police were not drawing any conclusions about the circumstances of the death at this stage, including whether it could have been a case of suicide or any foul play involved.
“We cannot arrive at any conclusion without completing the inquest and post-mortem examination. As it was already night when the discovery was reported, detailed procedures were deferred. We are currently gathering preliminary background details, and the full picture will only emerge after the formal medical examination,” the officer said.

Neighbours described Anila as a quiet person who occasionally went for walks with her pet dog. She was reportedly undergoing treatment for cancer. She had also told some residents that she had previously worked in the IT sector in Thiruvananthapuram.

The vehicle and the surrounding area were secured overnight after the body was discovered. The body was left in the vehicle pending the completion of the preliminary procedures.
“The body has been kept in place for now. The inquest, scene inspection, and shifting of the body to the mortuary for post-mortem will be conducted on Friday morning,” the officer said.

The exact circumstances and cause of death are expected to be established after the inquest and post-mortem examination.