Human Brain, Ears Recovered From Chemical-Filled Containers Inside Shop Shut For 15 Years

Police are investigating an incident involving human remains, including brain and ears, that were recovered inside a shop that had been shut for 15 years. The said remains were found inside two large containers filled with chemicals.

The grim discovery was made in Nashik city in the Indian state of Maharastra on Monday. Officers were alerted by residents of the area after they noticed a foul smell emanating from the shop, News 18 reported.

"The shop was full of scrap material. However, when two plastic containers were opened, we found human ears, a brain, eyes, and some face parts. The forensic team has taken custody of the human remnants for further probe," a senior police official said, as per Hindustan Times.

Though an investigation has been launched, officers are not treating the incident as a murder at this point, especially since there was no torso, the report added. "Had there been a corpse, we would have suspected a murder. But with a total of eight ears cut off properly, this work appears to be done by a specialist or a person in the field for whom it is a daily routine," police commissioner Pournima Chowgule told the outlet.

According to police, the shop owner's two sons were medical students and it is possible that they had kept the human remains for research purposes. Officers also said the fact that the remains were found submerged in chemicals adds to the theory. Despite this, they made it clear that "a probe is underway covering all angles." "No case has been registered so far," they added.

However, the shop owner reportedly told police that he did not know anything about the human remains.

Authorities in Bhubaneswar city in the eastern Indian state of Odisha also launched a probe last week after a ragpicker accidentally found a gunny bag filled with human skulls while rummaging through a dump yard. The bag, which contained more than 15 human skulls and other skeletal remains, was reportedly discovered under a bridge. Officers working on the case said not much is known about the findings' origin.