Prof, wife lock themselves in flat for 4 months, rescued

A retired professor and his wife, who allegedly locked themselves in their apartment here for four months, were found unconscious by police and rushed to a hospital.
Sanjeev Dayal (65), who conducted coaching classes for engineering students, and his wife Vidya (58) lived a secluded life in their Twin Towers flat in Kanpur's Sharda Nagar.
Some of their neighbours noted a stench emanating from their house and alerted police, who could gain entry into the apartment only after breaking its door.
Police said they found Dayal, with his beard reaching his stomach, and his wife lying on the floor in separate rooms.

SP West Sachindra Patel said the couple were living in unhygienic conditions, with heaps of excreta all around them.
They have been admitted to Hailet Hospital here and their condition is stable, he said, adding they could be suffering from depression.

Their neighbours told police they saw the two around four months ago and since then their flat was locked from inside.
They said the couple had called a technician two days ago to get a landline phone repaired but did not open the door.
The security guard at the main gate of the building said they had also called an electrician for repair works two months ago, but he too returned when they did not open the door.