Police in Bali say they cannot rule out foul play was involved in the death of an Australian man who was found face down and dead on a Bali beach.
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Police have requested an autopsy be conducted on Taras Mulik, whose body was found on Sunday.
But the family has yet to visit the morgue and give permission for an autopsy to take place.
Police meanwhile are continuing to investigate what happened to the 50-year-old former Perth man, who had been living in Bali and was a father of two.
Dr Henky from the forensic team at Sanglah hospital morgue told AAP that so far only an external examination had been conducted and the cause of death could not yet be determined.
He said whilst there were wounds on the Australian man's body it could not be determined if they were deliberate or accidental.
"There are several wounds on the victim's body. However, it doesn't mean that it is caused by violence. The wound could be caused by a deliberate action, such as an assault, or it could also be because of an accident," Dr Henky said.
He said an autopsy was needed to determine the cause of the death.
"There is an autopsy request from police. We are still waiting on approval from the family. We haven't conducted an autopsy as the victim's family hasn't come to give approval.
Dr Henky said swabs had been taken for a COVID-19 test and this was negative.
Denpasar Police spokesman Ketut Sukadi said police were still investigating the case.
Mr Mulik's body was found by a fellow surfer about 8.30am on Sunday at Suluban beach, South Kuta.
The body was lying face down under some stairs leading to the beach and he was bleeding from the mouth and his chest was blue.
It is not clear whether he had been surfing before the incident or not although he was known to be a keen surfer and lived in the nearby area.
Witnesses have told police that Mr Mulik was seen at a local warung or cafe in the afternoon before his death.
Australian Associated Press
