Thiruvananthapuram: Old age, isolation ring death knell

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A combination of old age induced isolation and anonymity of city life might have led to the death of a dentist going unnoticed for three months, reveal neighbours.  The deceased Mr KP Radhakrishnan lived in a 20 cent property on the Pazhaya road between Medical College and Cosmopolitan Hospital. Interestingly, the air holes of the building were plugged with thermocol to prevent dust and noise from the busy road. The house was surrounded by a huge ground on one side and by a lane on the other.

“We do have a residents association here but can’t say it is very active. The last time I talked to Mr Radhakrishnan was a few years back. Back then, he had objected to ceding some of his land for road widening. He had very limited interactions and sometimes stood on the premises with his vest on,” said Dr BK Madhu Mohan who lives nearby. His newspaper was being purchased from news-stands. A KSFE chit communication was the last to be delivered to his house, said Sub Inspector B Girilal. “Unlike many who came and settled here, Mr Radhakrishnan belongs to the area. His family inherited land near a levelled pond here. Slowly the old settlers were replaced by new,” a local resident added.

Though he owned phones, he was not an active user.  Police officials said that the beat policemen were under the impression that the house was vacant. “We also thought that he had gone somewhere else. He was indeed someone who did not tell anyone when he went away. He used to work in places like Delhi,” the resident added. Mr Radhakrishnan had stopped communication with his wife and daughter following an altercation over financial matters. The daughter reached the capital on Sunday after he was unreachable on the phone for several days.

Meanwhile, psychologists said that this could be a classic case of isolation accelerated by old age. “Post retirement, regular interactions with friends at work ends. As age progresses, health issues might affect the mobility of friends. Many might even pass away leading to isolation. Unless, there is a situation for the family to keep them engaged, elderly people could slip into depression,” said Deebu John, a psychologist. Bodies of elderly men being found dead after several days have been reported in the past two years at almost all stations. Such cases were reported recently at Museum, Fort and Poonthura and the last one was at Peroorkada two weeks back, a police special branch official said.