Dubai: A decomposed body was found on Thursday in an apartment in Sharjah’s Al Nahda area following complaints from occupants of neighbouring apartments about a foul odour.
Sharjah Police recovered the body after officers entered the apartment from where the smell was emanating. Police are carrying out investigations into the case.
The deceased was identified as Absar Mohtisham, an Indian resident aged 29 who was employed with an international fashion chain in Sharjah. The man’s family has since identified the body and one of his brothers has arrived in the UAE to assist in the repatriation of the body. The cause of death is not known as of now.
Belonging to the Nawayath community from the southern Indian state of Karnataka, Mohtisham was a commerce graduate and working for Zara as a salesman since 2010.
According to his friends, Mohtisham, who was unmarried, lived in a bachelors’ apartment but at the time of his death he was alone as all his flat mates had gone on vacation in time for Eid Al Adha.
One his elder brothers, Umair Mohtisham, flew in to Sharjah from Jeddah to officially identify the body and the police are likely to hand over the body to relatives soon.
In the town of Bhatkal on the west coast of India, his family, which includes his ailing mother and seven siblings, are in a state of shock as are his relatives and friends.
The family received the tragic news as they were celebrating Eid on Friday, a day after the body was found.
“I was walking back home after Friday prayers when someone told me that my brother is dead; I argued with him as I could not believe the news, but when I reached home I had 117 missed calls on my mobile phone and messages of his death had already gone viral on social media,” said Nurul Ameen, Mohtisham’s eldest brother.
The family’s main breadwinner, Mohtisham was known to be a generous and kindhearted person, and was popular among his friends and community as he would help them buy Zara shirts on staff discounts.
“He was very kind and always ready to help everyone. So many unknown people came to us to offer their condolences because Absar used to help them,” said Areej, Mohtisham’s youngest brother.
Mohtisham last spoke to his mother on Monday night on the eve of Eid. He hadn’t been returning his calls since the morning of Eid.
“When he spoke to our mother on Monday night, he was complaining of tonsillitis; it was his day off and he had gone out for shopping and he told our mother that he got throat pain after he ate an ice cream,” said Areej, adding that Mohtisham had been battling chronic tonsillitis and sinus issues, but was otherwise healthy and extremely fit.
Since Tuesday morning, family members and friends had been trying to reach Mohtisham but he didn’t respond to any calls or messages his last message to a friend being at 9.45am.
“He had spoken to some friends after the Eid prayers in Sharjah on Tuesday morning, but after that there was nothing; initially we ignored because he works odd hours and usually when he was at work he wouldn’t return the calls. But after a couple of days, we began to worry, but we never imagined this,” said Ameen.
Mohtisham last visited his family in May after his trip to Makkah for Umrah.
