MUMBAI: The family of an 80-year-old Mumbai man who died four years ago has preserved his body due to “deep emotional attachment”, spending over Rs 50 lakh in the process, police said on Wednesday.

Ruling out any foul play, the police said the man passed away in 2022 after suffering from cancer, kidney failure and other age-related ailments.

The family initially kept the body in a freezer in their home in Mumbai’s Malad area, said an official from Kurar police station.

According to the police, the man’s wife and two children, including a lawyer daughter, decided against performing the last rites due to “deep emotional attachment”. When their residential building went under redevelopment, the family moved the body to a local dispensary, which closed down about a month ago, they said.

“The family has spent more than Rs 50 lakh to keep the body preserved and was exploring options to send it to a facility in the United States offering long-term cryopreservation services,” a police official said.

Cryopreservation broadly refers to storing cells, tissues or organs at extremely low temperatures.

The unusual case came to light after cops received a tip-off. Relatives and neighbours were aware of the arrangement, and police ruled out anything suspicious, saying the death was natural.

No case has been registered in the matter, and the family is currently deciding whether to proceed with sending the body abroad or perform the last rites, the official added.