Kochi: Two men were found dead in separate incidents in Ernakulam district on Friday, with police suspecting an accidental fall in one case and possible health-related causes in the other. The police said there are no indications of foul play in either incident, though postmortem reports are awaited for confirmation.

In the first incident, a 45-year-old coconut tree climber was found dead in an advanced state of decomposition at Kottappady near Kothamangalam. The deceased was identified as Sanil (45), also known as Sani, a native of the Pallippady area.

The body, estimated to be nearly two weeks old, was found by workers who had arrived to cut grass in the area. They noticed a strong foul smell and, upon searching the overgrown premises, found the body lying in a stream near a coconut tree on a paddy field ridge.

Police officers from the Kottappady station reached the spot and conducted inquest proceedings. The body has been shifted for postmortem examination, and officials said the exact cause of death will be known only after the report is received.

Preliminary investigations suggest an accidental fall. Tools used for climbing coconut trees, including a machete, were found near the body. “The equipment found at the site points towards an accidental fall during work. It is learnt that he had health issues and suffered frequent seizures. We suspect he might have fallen from the tree during a seizure. At present, there are no indications of foul play,” a senior police officer said.

The area is thickly overgrown and sees very little human activity. Although locals had reported a foul smell from the area recently, the body was not found until the workers arrived. Sanil had reportedly been missing for about two weeks, but as he was not in close contact with his family, relatives assumed he had gone elsewhere for work. He is unmarried. 

In the second case, a 41-year-old man was found dead near a river at Panangad in the early hours of Friday. The deceased was identified as Umesh Babu (41), son of Seetha, a resident of Ambalaparambil House. He was an interior worker specialised in Plaster of Paris (PoP) false ceiling.

Local residents found Umesh lying unconscious near the Udayathumvathil Sreekrishna Temple around 6 am. “He was found lying on the ground near the riverbank. By the time people reached him, he had already passed away,” Panangad police sources said.

According to family members, Umesh had not returned home after work on Thursday. His mother waited through the night and later alerted neighbours, prompting a search. “He usually comes home by night. When he didn’t arrive, his mother informed us, and we began searching. That is when we found him near the river,” Manoharan, Umesh's uncle, told Onmanorama.

Panangad police have registered a case of unnatural death. Preliminary findings indicate that Umesh may have had pre-existing health issues, including fits (seizures).

“It is learnt that he had some health issues. But residents say he was an alcoholic too. However, only a postmortem can confirm the exact cause of death,” a police officer said. “At present, there are no indications of foul play. Further steps will depend on the postmortem report,” the officer added.

The body has been shifted to the Ernakulam General Hospital for postmortem examination.

Umesh was a divorcee and is survived by his mother and his seven-year-old son.

Police said further investigations in both cases will proceed based on the postmortem findings.