Guwahati, Sept. 11: The decomposed body of an Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer was recovered under mysterious circumstances from his residence here.

The body of Manikut Pathak, 43, an ACS officer of the 1997 batch and currently posted as district gazetteer, was recovered from the second floor of his three-storey residence at Lakhimi Nagar under Hatigaon police station this morning.

Police said Pathak’s body was lying face down on a bed.

Though the police said they are yet to ascertain whether it was a murder or suicide, the victim’s father Ramesh, a retired professor of Assamese at Cotton College, claimed that his son had been murdered.

Ramesh, who lives on the ground floor, said the door of his son’s room was locked from outside, which clearly indicates it was murder. Pathak said he had seen his son alive last on the evening of September 4. He said he grew suspicious after foul smell started emanating from the second floor and he discovered his son lying dead.

Sources said father and son were not on good terms. The victim was also estranged from his wife and lived alone on the second floor. The first floor of the building is vacant.

Senior superintendent of police (city) A.P. Tiwari and SP (crime) Sudhakar Singh visited the spot.

“It is too early to say whether it was murder, suicide or something else,” Singh said. He said all possible angles are being investigated.

Singh said they would be able to arrive at a final conclusion only after they receive the post-mortem report and their investigation was completed.

The body has been sent to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for autopsy.

Another police officer, on condition of anonymity, said there were some mutilation marks on the abdomen but it is not very clear since the body was decomposed and therefore they have to wait for the autopsy report to confirm it.