Coimbatore, India - A preacher belonging to a Christian sect has been taken into custody after the decomposed body of his brother was recovered from his residence, police said here today.
Charles, a Pentacost sect preacher, claimed that he kept the body of his younger brother Selvakumar for the last 55 days in his house at Papanaickenpalayam in the city in order to "bring life" to it through his "japam" (prayer).
As Selvakumar, who used to visit his native village in Tiruchirapalli district once a month, did not turn up for the last three months, his wife and relatives came in his search to the city, police said.
Since Charles gave contradictory replies, the relatives broke the window of his house and felt bad smell emanating from a room. They broke the door and found the decomposed body of Selvakumar wrapped in a plastic sheet.
As the news spread, police rushed to the spot yesterday, recovered the body and sent it for postmortem.
Charles told police that Selvakumar had committed suicide and he kept the body to bring back life to it through prayers.
Police were awaiting the postmortem report to ascertain the cause of Selvakumar's death.