For the past 48 hours, the Madurai police, local media and good Samaritans across Tamil Nadu have been on a single-minded mission — to trace the relatives of Lakshmi Iyer. The 69-year-old Chennai resident, who had in August this year told mid-day that she had relatives across Navi Mumbai, was found dead at a lodge in Madurai. Her body now lies in the mortuary of the Government Rajaji hospital, with a tag that says 'unclaimed', while people are trying to trace her relatives for the last rites. 

Iyer was found dead on the morning of November 12 in room no. 1 of Selection Lodge in Madurai, where she had been staying since November 10. Speaking to mid-day in August, Iyer had said she owns a flat in Navi Mumbai, and has relatives across the city, including in Kandivli and Chembur. However, none of them have been traced yet.