Bagalkot: In a bizarre incident, a woman had kept her elder sister’s dead body inside her house for ten days as she found it difficult to come to terms with the loss.

It was hard for Sujata Mirji to accept that her elder sister Rajani had died and desperate Sujata ended up keeping the body close to her. The pungent smell emanating from the house compelled the neighbours break open the door of Sujata’s house. They were shocked to see the decomposed body of Rajani in the house and Sujata brooding near the body. The municipal personnel then took the body away for cremation.

Rajani was working in Life Insurance Corporation as she got the job after her husband’s death shortly after their marriage. Sujata and Rajini lived with their mother.

It is said that 22-years-ago, Rajani opted for voluntary retirement and assisted her mother who was ill. But when her mother passed away that year, both the sisters were depressed and to add to their grief, their two brothers expired too. One of their neighbor said that the sisters never ventured out of their house for more than 20 years after their loved ones left them. A local woman was seen bringing them meals and milk on a daily basis. Rajani would pay the woman for the supplies through cheque in favour of the woman.

On September 19, the neighbours realised something was wrong and broke open the door when no body responded when the knocked at the door.

Sujata could not believe that her sister was dead and insisted that she was alive. Doctors came home to inspect the body and pronounced Rajani dead. Sujata is likely to be admitted to the hospital. Sujata’s sister-in-law arrived came from Dharwad and will take a decision on the future action.