THE cause of death of a man found in a Colchester home remains a mystery because the body was too badly decomposed.

The body of Rajnikant Patel, 71, was found at an address in Orchard Gardens, Colchester, last December.

It was wrapped in bedsheets and plastic, and was surrounded by flowers and family photographs, an inquest at Essex Coroner’s Court heard yesterday

 

Police had attended the address on December 1, after they were called to reports of a deceased person.

Found - a body was discovered at an address in Orchard Gardens, Colchester, in December last yearFound - a body was discovered at an address in Orchard Gardens, Colchester, in December last year (Image: Google Street View)

The inquest heard Insp Emily Holmes attended the address.

Mr Patel’s son was then arrested on suspicion of murder

Area coroner for Essex, Michelle Brown, said: “There was a background history which is why a person was arrested at the time.”

The man was later released and faced no further charges after third-party involvement in Patel’s death was ruled out.

Describing the address where Patel was found, the coroner continued: “An electric heater was in the room and the windows were open.

“The room was described as cold when police attended.

“The body was wrapped in sheets and plastic with flowers to the front.

“Patel was last seen by his other son who was in the premises at 10am on November 27.”

The level of decomposition meant Patel had to be identified by a fingerprint expert from Essex Police.

The coroner added: “Decomposition prevented accurate assessment of the organs.

“There was no identifiable trauma and no injuries.

“The way he was wrapped… it was almost like a religious thing, the way he was presented – and there were family photographs surrounding him.

Report - a forensic post-mortem was requested by police and prepared by Dr Ben SwiftReport - a forensic post-mortem was requested by police and prepared by Dr Ben Swift (Image: Pexels)

“We have also got a statement from his wife – they were still married but did not live together.

“She confirmed he did historically have an issue with a alcohol but I can’t place any weight on that on the basis that toxicology could not be carried out as a result of the decomposition process.”

The coroner gave an open conclusion into Patel’s death, saying: “I concluded that Rajnikant Patel, from Colchester, died on December 1, 2023 at his home address of Orchard Gardens due to unascertained following a forensic post-mortem due to severe decomposition.

“My conclusion is therefore one of open.”