NRI found dead in Lucknow

A NRI, running a NGO here for HIV-AIDS afflicted, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his rented accomodation here Monday, police said.

While police claimed that it appeared to be a case of suicide, the deceased - Shivanand Dunker George Khan - had polythene was wrapped around his face with a rubber band tying it around his neck.

Police officials however told IANS that since the door was bolted from inside and he was all alone in the room, suicide seems to be the only plausible cause of death.

A British citizen, Khan was running an NGO for people with HIV-AIDS and had made Lucknow his home for the last 12 years. His sister and mother stay in London and have been informed of his death.

The 55-year-old had dinner last night with Ravindra Kumar Yadav, a youth he had adopted, and then closed himself up in the room. Failing to get him to open the room, Yadav was forced to sleep in the gallery outside the room. When Khan failed to open the door Monday morning, Yadav informed the police control room and his neighbours.

Police broke open the door of the bed room only to find the NRI dead and two bottles of liquor lying near by. Police also found a message (SMS) sent from his mobile phone to a person called Ayub that he was tense that funds for helping HIV patients were not being arranged. He further wrote that he was killing himself and requested Ayub to take care of Yadav.

The body has been sent for autopsy and police is awaiting the flight plans of his mother and sister to arrange for further legal formalities to be completed.