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Decomposed body found near HMT premises in Kalamassery; suspected to be missing Bengaluru native

KOCHI: A decomposed body, suspected to be that of missing Bengaluru native Suraj Lama, was recovered from a forested area near the Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) premises in Kalamassery on Sunday morning. Lama had gone missing shortly after being deported from Kuwait. The remains, believed to be at least one-and-a-half months old, were discovered by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the missing person case, said a source with the Ernakulam Rural Police. The SIT had intensified the probe by examining CCTV footage that traced his last known location to the Kalamassery area. The team spotted the body inside the plot and immediately alerted superior officers, the source added. An SIT officer stated that the team is almost certain that the remains belong to Lama. The recovered belongings, including the clothes he was last seen wearing, matched the description. We are 95 per cent sure the body is Lamas. However, official confirmation will be made only after his family identifies the remains and scientific procedures, including post-mortem and DNA tests, are completed, the officer said. He added that Surajs family has been asked to reach Kochi for official identification. Meanwhile, Surajs son, Santon Lama, told TNIE that the police had informed them about the recovery. My relative and I are currently at the Bengaluru airport, waiting for our flight. It has been delayed due to bad weather, and we expect to reach Kochi around 7.45 pm, Santon said.