CUDDALORE: Body of a 30-year-old daily wage labourer from Kandiyamedu near Chidambaram was reportedly found in the Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL) mine area, sparking tensions in the town.
The victim's family, doubtful of his death, refused to take the body after autopsy.
Police said the victim, K Sivasankar (30), who was working in Kerala, returned to his village a few weeks ago. He visited his sister K Kanaga in Thoppilikuppam near NLCIL, a couple of days ago. As the victim did not return for a long time after leaving the house on Sunday morning, Kanaga and her relatives searched for him.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, involved in security duty at the NLCIL, found the victim's body inside a 20-foot-deep pit near Mine-1. The body was rescued and the police were informed about the incident.
Alleging that Sivasankar was murdered by the CISF personnel, the victim's relatives staged a protest near the NLCIL check post. The police pacified the family and sent the body to the Government Villupuram Medical College and Hospital in Mundiyampakkam for autopsy, even after its completion on Monday, the family refused to claim the body.
The Neyveli Thermal Police registered a case. A police official said they await the autopsy result to determine the cause of death. "We are inquiring why he visited the area near the mine," said the official.