The car in which Rahul Gautam’s body was found. Telegraph picture

Patna, Oct. 25: Barely three days after police said Rahul Gautam was strangled to death, the men in uniform today claimed that he might have died after meeting with an accident.

The police said Rahul was heavy on liquor and was also epileptic.

On October 20, Rahul’s body was found on the footboard of the rear seat of his Ford Fiesta, which was parked beside a temple in Rajabazaar under Rajiv Nagar police station.

Rahul, a resident of Nalanda Colony under Shastri Nagar police station, had left home on October 19 evening and never returned after that. His cyber café business bombed and he was unemployed.

“The police have got a witness in the same neighbourhood from where the car was recovered. The woman had seen the man getting out of the car and slumping into the backseat. According to her, he didn’t look steady. Nothing concrete can be yet as investigations are still on,” Patna city superintendent of police (central) Shivdeep Lande told The Telegraph.

Earlier, the post-mortem revealed marks around the man’s neck hinting at strangulation.

Sources said the marks are on the sides of the neck and not in the centre. The man wore a gold chain, which could have resulted in the marks.

“The police have information that Rahul drank four pegs of liquor that evening and had vomited too. But he continued drinking. He was being treated for alcohol abuse and had spent one-and-a-half months at Disha, a city-based rehabilitation centre. As he drove, an accident might have occurred around Bailey Road. The body had injury marks on the chest, which might be a result of the accident,” a police officer said.

“The lady saw him getting out of the car with his legs trembling. He then opened the back door and slumped inside closing the door. He probably wanted to rest or sleep. The doctors have said he was epileptic,” a source said.

Sources said the doctors didn’t give an exact opinion after the post-mortem. “Though the doctors mention strangulation, many things are not clear. The marks were the result of his chain, which must have wound tight on his neck as he fell off the seat,” the source added.