Kasaragod: The headless body of a man that washed ashore at Lighthouse Beach in Nellikkunnu, Kasaragod, on July 11 had an autopsy already performed on it, according to the Kasaragod Coastal Police investigating the case.

The finding emerged after an autopsy was conducted at the Kannur Government Medical College, Pariyaram. Forensic surgeons at the medical college told police that the incisions and stitched wounds noticed on the chest and abdomen during the inquest were surgical cuts made during an earlier autopsy.

Police suspect the first autopsy was conducted outside Kerala. “In Kerala, the internal organs are usually removed and preserved for chemical analysis during an autopsy. In this case, the organs were found intact,” said the Station House Officer of the Kasaragod Coastal Police.

Investigators believe the body had remained in the sea for more than a month. The head was missing, while the flesh on the legs had decomposed, leaving the calf bones exposed. Police said there were no external injuries suggesting foul play.

The advanced state of decomposition also made it impossible to determine the victim’s age or establish any identifying features. “There are no fingerprints, no nails and no identifiable marks left on the body. Identifying the deceased is extremely difficult,” the SHO said.

Police believe the body had most likely been buried before it was washed into the sea by heavy run-off following recent rains. One possibility is that it was an unclaimed body buried by the authorities after the first autopsy. The other is that it had been buried by the family after the autopsy. “In either case, the relatives would have no reason to suspect that the body had been washed away by floodwaters and reached the sea. So it is unlikely that anyone will come looking for it,” the officer said.

The Kasaragod Coastal Police said they will preserve DNA samples from the body before giving it a dignified burial. The samples will be retained to facilitate identification if the body is claimed in the future.