A body was found on the bank of the Gurupura river in the northern part of Mangaluru on Friday morning, 6 November.
The body was that of an unidentified man, aged about 40 to 45 years. It was found on the river bank at Pandeshwar, and the matter was reported to Pandeshwar police station.
Pandeshwar police registered an unnatural-death case. The body was shifted to the mortuary, where it is kept for identification.
The man was wearing a grey T-shirt, black shorts and dark blue underwear. He was about 5 feet 6 inches tall, medium built and wheatish in complexion.
Two tattoos were found on his body. One is on the right side of the chest, and the other on the left hand. Police believe the tattoos may help identify the man.
The discovery on the river bank
The body was found lying on the river bank on Friday morning. Local people who noticed it informed the police, who reached the spot and began the formalities.
The condition of the body suggested that it had been in the water for some time. The exact cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem examination, and police have not made any statement about foul play.
What police know so far
Pandeshwar police are trying to establish the identity of the man. The tattoos are the most distinctive feature, and police have shared the details in the hope that someone who knows the man will come forward.
The description includes his clothes, his height and his build, and the tattoos give family members or friends a clear way to recognise him. Without identification, the last rites cannot be carried out, and the body will remain in the mortuary.
An appeal to the public
Anyone with information about the man has been asked to contact Pandeshwar police station on 0824-2420219. The number is the direct line to the station, and callers can share any detail that could help identify the man.
The river bank at Pandeshwar is a quiet stretch, and the discovery of a body there has drawn attention from the local community. People have been talking about who the man could have been and how he came to be in the river.
Unidentified bodies are a recurring problem for the police, because without a name, the investigation cannot move beyond the basic facts. The post-mortem report and the identification process will decide what happens next.
The body will remain in the mortuary until someone identifies it. If no one comes forward, the police will carry out the final rites after the due process, as is the practice in such cases.
Pandeshwar police are continuing their efforts to identify the man, and the appeal for information remains open.
