CHENNAI: A human skeleton was found in a bushy area near the railway tracks at Udhayampakkam village in Chengalpattu on Tuesday.
Located around 5 km from Chengalpattu on the Chengalpattu-Villupuram railway route, the railway track is surrounded by thick forest and is served by only a few suburban trains operating towards Melmaruvathur.
Police said a railway gangman who was carrying out routine patrol duties along the track noticed the skeletal remains amid the bushes in the morning. He alerted the Chengalpattu Taluk Police.
During investigation, police found a human skull along with several scattered bones of arms and legs. The remains were collected and secured for further examination. Police said it is yet to be determined whether the skeleton belongs to a man or a woman.
The exact identity, age, and cause of death will be established only after forensic analysis. Based on the condition of the remains, police suspected that the person may have died approximately 4-5 months ago. They added that if the body had remained at the location for several months, it would have attracted animals and produced a stench, which would have been noticed by the gangman who regularly patrols the tracks.
As the skeleton was reported only now, police suspected that the remains may have been brought from another location and dumped in the bushes after being killed elsewhere. Police also recovered an old, torn men’s shirt from the spot where the skeleton was found.
Police are probing whether the garment is connected to the deceased or was deliberately left behind to mislead the investigation. The skeletal remains have been sent to the Chengalpattu District GH for forensic examination.
Meanwhile, the Chengalpattu Taluk Police have registered a case and begun reviewing missing-persons complaints filed over the past six months in Chennai, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram to determine whether the remains may be linked to any missing cases.