Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (MS)

Puttur, Dec 7: The body of an elderly man who left home to deliver cash to his sister was discovered in a trench at Rotaripura Samethadka on Friday morning, with the cash missing. Authorities suspect foul play.

The deceased, Nandakumar (68), a resident of Puttur Kasba Paddayooru and a retired employee of Puttur Vivekananda College, had reportedly withdrawn between Rs 1 and 1.5 lac on December 5. He left his residence in Paddayooru that evening, intending to hand over the money to his sister, who lives near Sushrutha Hospital in Puttur.

According to reports, Nandakumar took an autorickshaw to the city, visited a wine store behind the traffic police station, and then began walking to his sister’s house. CCTV footage from Boluvaru Urlandi Road shows Nandakumar falling into a roadside trench near Bharath Bank on Thursday evening. However, what transpired after his fall remains unclear.

Police suspect that his body, carried by rainwater, was washed away and eventually got stuck in the trench at Rotaripura Samethadka, about three kilometers from the fall site. The bag he was carrying was recovered, but the cash was missing.

Eyewitness accounts and suspicions have raised doubts about the sequence of events. Nandakumar had reportedly disclosed his intention to deliver cash to his sister to someone he met at the wine store, sparking fears that he might have been followed and attacked.

Police, however, believe the money may have fallen out of the bag and been taken by a passerby after Nandakumar's accidental fall. While authorities maintain that his death was accidental, locals and acquaintances have raised questions.

Some find it unusual that Nandakumar, who usually traveled by autorickshaw, decided to walk that evening. Others question whether the water's force was strong enough to carry his body three kilometers downstream.

The circumstances surrounding Nandakumar’s death remain shrouded in mystery, with city police continuing their investigation.