Sanitation workers in a town in West Bengal’s Hooghly district discovered a human skeleton wrapped in plastic while clearing a garbage bin on Thursday morning, prompting a police investigation. The remains — including a skull and other bones — were found in the Daspara area of Ward 27 under the jurisdiction of Chinsurah Municipality. According to local authorities, municipal workers noticed a black plastic bag stuck to a shovel as they were lifting waste. When they pulled at the bag, the knot at the top came loose, revealing human remains.

Police from Chinsurah station arrived at the scene shortly afterward and recovered the skeleton. Officials said there are no surveillance cameras in the area and it remains unclear when or how the bones were dumped.

“We have questioned residents, but no recent deaths have been reported in the area,” a senior officer said. “We are looking into the possibility that the skeleton was brought in from outside the locality.” Investigators are also exploring whether the bones might have been used for academic or medical purposes. “As the skeleton appears to be old, we are checking if it was part of an anatomical collection used for study,” the officer added. A forensic examination has been ordered to determine the origin and age of the remains.