3 men, who lit charcoal stove to stay warm, found dead inside room in Belagavi

The bodies of the three men were found inside a closed room in Belagavi after one of them failed to respond to his sister’s phone calls.

The police identified the deceased as Mohin Nalaband, 23, Rehan Matte, 22, and Sarfaraz Harappanahalli, 22, all residents of Aman Nagar in Belagavi. (Special Arrangement)

The decision to light a charcoal stove inside a closed room to keep themselves warm turned fatal for three young men in Karnataka’s Belagavi, who were found dead on Tuesday evening, allegedly due to asphyxiation. Another member of the group was found alive but is critical.

The police identified the deceased as Mohin Nalaband, 23, Rehan Matte, 22, and Sarfaraz Harappanahalli, 22, all residents of Aman Nagar in Belagavi. Shahanawaz Harpanhalli, 19, is undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

“There was some function at Matte’s house. As the women of the family slept in the house, these men, who are relatives, decided to stay at their relative’s house. They returned to the place around 1 am on Tuesday, lit the stove, and went to sleep. All the windows and doors were closed,” a police official said.

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Around 4 pm Tuesday, Matte’s sister tried calling him multiple times but did not receive any response. When she arrived at the house, she saw that it was locked from the inside. According to sources, a foul smell was emanating from the house.

A police officer said that the bodies of the three men were sent for a post-mortem. “It looks like smoke accumulation and lack of oxygen led to their deaths, but we are awaiting the post-mortem report,” he added.

A family member said the young men had tea after reaching the house and even posted a photo as their WhatsApp status.

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