Kochi: The body of a 36-year-old woman, naked and decomposing, was found inside her rented house in Angamaly on Thursday.

The woman, Florency, was a native of Puthiyathura, in Karimkulam panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram. She was living in a rented house at Palliyangadi in Karukutty near Angamaly. The police suspect foul play as the body was lying on the floor naked and the rear door of the house was open. The body could be at least four days old as it had started decomposing and a foul smell was emanating, police said.

The circumstances in which the woman died, coupled with the open rear door, have prompted police to investigate the possibility of murder. However, the exact cause and circumstances of death have not yet been established.

“It is too early to confirm anything. We have started the inquest formalities. We cannot confirm it was a murder, but it cannot be ruled out. The cause of death will be clear only after the postmortem. Forensic analysis needs to be done and a detailed inquiry is needed for further clarity,” said a police officer.

According to Karukutty Panchayat President Babu Sani, Florency had moved there around four months ago and was living alone. She made a living by selling lottery tickets near the Angamaly KSRTC bus station. She had rented out the house through a local property broker.

The incident came to light after the broker, who had been unable to contact Florency by phone for several days, alerted Sani, who represents Ward 13 (Palliyangadi), where the house is located. Sani went to the house on Thursday morning only to find the front door locked. “There was a strong, foul odour emanating from the premises. Since the front door was locked, I immediately alerted the police,” Sani said.

A team from the Angamaly police, during initial inspection, found one of the rear doors unlocked and open. They entered the house through that door and found Florency’s body inside. Forensic experts and a dog squad were subsequently brought to the scene to collect evidence.