Kochi (Kerala) | A Bengaluru native, who was found dead in a forested area here after being deported from Kuwait, was cremated on Sunday, police said.

Suraj Lama (59) arrived in Kochi on October 5 after being deported from Kuwait, where he had run a restaurant.

He was reportedly deported following memory loss caused by methanol poisoning.

Lama went missing from the Ernakulam Government Medical College, Kalamassery, on October 10.

His decomposed body was later discovered on November 30 in a forested area near the Hindustan Machine Tools premises.

Police said DNA test results recently confirmed that the body was that of Lama.

Officials said the body was released to the family earlier in the day and was cremated thereafter.

Rimi Lama, Suraj’s wife, told reporters that the incident should be treated as a murder case.

"It has to be seen as a murder case. If the hospital had taken care of him, my husband would be alive today," she claimed, adding that she would file a complaint against the hospital.

"Neither the hospital nor the police at the airport helped my husband," she alleged.

The Kerala High Court had earlier criticised the alleged negligence of authorities after Lama’s son, Santon, filed a habeas corpus petition.

The court has directed the Station House Officer of Nedumbassery police station to appear before it with all relevant files on Monday.

The court noted that the family had filed a missing person’s complaint at the Nedumbassery police station on October 8, but the police failed to coordinate with other stations and were unaware that the Thrikakkara police had shifted Lama to the medical college on October 10.

Medical college authorities have maintained that Lama sought discharge after being brought to the hospital, having been found wandering in the Thrikakkara area by police.

The family, however, rejected claims that Lama had mental health issues and alleged that hospital authorities discharged him without properly assessing his condition.