Vijayawada, Jan 7 (IANS): Police in Vijayawada have launched an investigation into the death of former joint director of Andhra Pradesh Forensic Sciences Laboratory (APFSL) Ekkaraju Shiva Kumar.

The retired official, who is presently working in a private laboratory, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in a city hotel late on Friday.

Shiva Kumar (74), a resident of Kukatpally in Hyderabad, had come to Vijayawada in connection with a court case.

The hotel staff alerted police after Shiva Kumar did not respond to phone calls and door bells. The police broke open the door and found him lying on the floor.

Police shifted the body for autopsy and informed his family members. The cause of death was not known immediately.

A police officer said they have registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances and took up investigation. The investigators collected clues from the hotel room.

Shiva Kumar had checked into the hotel on Thursday. He was in the city to submit evidence in the court in connection with a case.