COIMBATORE:A 19-year-old tea estate worker, who had been reported missing since Thursday evening, was found dead in a river at Nadumalai near Valparai on Friday.
The deceased, Din Ismail, a native of Assam was residing with his mother Puneja at Nadumalai for the past year and was working in an estate at Karumalai.
Ismail had reportedly told his mother on Thursday that he would return home after getting his weekly salary. However, he failed to come back home and his mother's efforts to trace him were in vain.
On Friday morning, she received information that Ismail's body was found in the Nadumalai river. Subsequently, Puneja filed a complaint with Valparai police.
Police recovered the body and sent it to Valparai Government Hospital for post-mortem.
Injuries were found on his face and body, which led his family to suspect he was murdered, which was ultimately ruled out by the police.
“The doctor who autopsied his body confirmed that he drowned and there was no room for suspicion of foul play. He must have been walking on a slippery rock and fell into the river,” said a Sub-Inspector investigating the case. Valparai police, however, have registered a case under section 174 (suspicious death) of the CrPc.