CHENNAI: A 28-year-old man, who went in search of his father on Monday, was found dead in Pallikaranai on Thursday. Police suspect the victim fell into a pit on the road and drowned. The body was found after water receded from the pit on Thursday.
The deceased, M Arun, a resident of Kamakoti Nagar, was working in a private company. He was staying with his parents, Murugan and Revathi, and sister Ambika. “On Monday, water level rose drastically following rain. The family moved to another house three streets away. After the rain stopped in the evening, Murugan decided to check the condition of their house and left,” a police officer said.
“However, as Murugan did not return after a few hours and there was no network connectivity, Arun went in search of him around 7pm. Around 9pm, the family began worrying as their house was just a few streets away. They informed volunteers on rescue boats and police officials, who reached the spot. They could not continue the search as it was dark,” the officer said.
Murugan was later found by people, stranded on the terrace of his house. “As water levels rose drastically, Murugan went inside his house and moved some furniture and valuables to the attic. When he decided to return to his family, the water levels increased and he was stranded on the terrace,” the officer said. Meanwhile, efforts to search for Arun went in vain. On Wednesday, the family lodged a complaint at the Pallikaranai police station.
Based on preliminary investigation, police said Arun might have slipped and fallen into a pit on the side of the road and drowned. “Due to strong currents, it must have been difficult for him to swim,” the police said. NDRF retrieved the body and sent it for post mortem. They said the body had started to decompose.