CHENNAI: An undisclosed mix of chemicals sprayed by a homeopath from Austria had halted the decomposition of two dead bodies – that of his girlfriend and her father – for over four months inside their flat in an apartment complex in Thirumullaivoyal here.
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The bodies, however, had started decaying and were discovered on Thursday after neighbours complained of foul smell from the flat.
Police arrested Samuel Ebenezer Sampath,34, a homeopathy practitioner from Austria, and found that he had murdered his girlfriend, Cynthia, 37, after she picked up a quarrel with him about the death of her father Samuel Shankar, 78.
Police said that Samuel Ebenezer Sampath was living with Cynthia and her father since Sept 2024. Ebenezer and Cynthia met through social media. Due to her father’s ongoing dialysis treatments and convenient medical care, the two moved into his apartment in Chennai later.
When Samuel Shankar passed away due to kidney failure for months ago, Cynthia blamed Ebenezer for his inability to save her father. As Ebenezer was preparing for an overseas trip, a conflict erupted between him and Cynthia, and the latter refused to let Ebenezer leave, said police. This led to a violent argument between them. During the altercation, Ebenezer pushed Cynthia, who fell down and became unconscious. She died shortly thereafter.
Ebenezer then sprayed a complex of chemicals to mask the odour from the decomposing bodies and turned on the air conditioner to prevent the smell from spreading. He then locked the apartment door. He left the city and stayed with his relatives in Kancheepuram, police said.
Meanwhile, Kamala, a neighbour, said they had been experiencing a foul smell for the past few weeks. With so many outdoor units in the complex, they didn't notice the ACs in this house running continuously.
On information, police reached the flat, broke open the door and discovered the bodies of both the victims in a decomposed state. The bodies were sent to the Govt Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem.
Samuel Ebenezer was arrested in Kancheepuram and charged with the
murder of Cynthia. Police are now piecing together the sequence of events leading to the deaths.