By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 26 Aug: A couple was found dead in a taxi on Nagal Road behind Sahastradhara Helipad early this morning. The postmortem (PM) report has revealed that the cause of death was hypoxia and excessive alcohol consumption. According to the PM report, the couple fell asleep inside the car with the AC on due to excessive drinking. The intoxication was so intense that gas from the car’s AC turned toxic, resulting in a silent death for both.
The medical report also noted that the skin can become dry in an air-conditioned (AC) environment, which can contribute to peeling when decomposition begins. While asphyxiation itself does not cause skin peeling, postmortem conditions, including those affected by temperature control in the car, can lead to such a result. The report points out that every cell in the body needs oxygen. When oxygen comes into contact with carbon monoxide, the oxygen in haemoglobin is converted into carboxyhaemoglobin, rendering the cells useless, stopping tissue function. This condition, known as hypoxia, can cause intense headaches, dizziness, confusion, and even death. If the couple had been awake, they could have immediately exited the car and avoided death. However, they were deeply asleep due to alcohol intoxication and did not realise they were being poisoned, leading to a silent death.
The deceased have been identified as Rajesh Sahu, a 50-year-old resident of Rajpur, and Maheshwari, a 45-year-old woman.
