Resident of plush society rarely spoke to neighbours or family and told police he was not that old to need help
Sagar Sangeet building in Colaba, where Al Farooq Kabali’s body was found. Pic/Atul Kamble
The 65-year-old resident of a plush society in Colaba, whose decomposed body was found in his filthy 4BHK flat on Friday, had steadfastly refused to allow the local police to check on him. Al Farooq Kabali, a readymade garment businessman, had been living alone for the past 10 years and had distanced himself from his family.
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He was divorced from his wife, and his two sons live abroad. On Saturday, one of Kabali's sons, Alamin Farooq Kabali, 38, claimed his body and performed the last rites. The local police, who were entrusted with the responsibility of checking on senior citizens living alone, tried to speak to Kabali many times, but he always fobbed them off saying he was not that old and did not need supervision.
On Friday afternoon, the police had been called to the 32-storey Sagar Sangeet building after neighbours complained of a foul smell emanating from Kabali's 30th floor flat. Both the police and the fire brigade broke open the door. "We found the decomposed body of a man lying on the bed," said an officer who had visited the spot.
"The cops are each entrusted with the responsibility of checking on senior citizens living alone in a building. Our cop was in touch with 10 senior citizens living in Kabali's building," said a police officer from Colaba police station. "The officer used to visit them in the daytime, but the cops never found Kabali at home. On the rare occasions that they did, he rudely told them, "I am not that old to seek help'," the officer said. According to a statement by the neighbours and watchmen, Kabali used to leave his apartment around 8 am and return only at night. Nobody knew where he went.
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