US national found dead at IGI lounge

THE MAN HAD ARRIVED FROM COIMBATORE BY AN AIR INDIA FLIGHT AND HAD BOOKED A ROOM TO TAKE A NAP

NEW DELHI : A 52-year-old US national who had arrived in Delhi from Coimbatore and was staying at the Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Premium Plaza Lounge was found dead in his room on Saturday morning.

Police said the man had no external injuries on his body. His family has been informed and a postmortem examination is awaited to confirm the cause of death, officers said.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said the duty manager of the lounge at the domestic arrival terminal informed them that a US national who had booked a room was not responding.

“The passenger was identified as Ian Andrew. The manager said he arrived from Coimbatore by an Air India flight the same day. He booked a room to take a nap. Around 4 am, he locked the room and did not respond. When the room was opened with a duplicate key, Andrew was found lying unconscious. Medical examination confirmed him dead,” said an officer who did not wish to be named.

The CISF called the police, which sent the body to Safdurjung Hospital.

Deputy commissioner of police (IGIA) Sanjay Bhatia said they had informed the man’s wife, who is in Australia. “We are waiting for her. There are no injury marks. A postmortem will be conducted once his wife is here. We are yet to confirm the man’s background and why he was in India,” the DCP said.

A spokesperson of the lounge said they did not want to comment as police investigations are under way. An airport officer said the lounge is a private property and did not come under the airport operator.