Ragpicker drowns in Hussainsagar lake

Hyderabad: An unidentified ragpicker accidentally fell into the Hussainsagar lake near Peoplae's Plaza on Tuesday evening as Ganesh immersion was underway and died. National Disaster Response Force teams deployed in the lake swung into action but could only recover his body. Police said the victim was mentally unsound and was moving naked in the surroundings.

Police said the deceased was a mentally unsound ragpicker who usually wandered near People’s Plaza. Eyewitnesses said that on Tuesday evening while the area were abuzz with devotees and idols moving towards immersion points he walked towards the lake to have a close look of the immersion and accidentally slipped and fell into the water. They alerted the police there and NDRF teams were pressed into action.

“NDRF teams recovered the body. The person was completely naked and has not been identified. As per reports he is a vagabond and lived by picking rags,” said inspector P. Murali Krishna of Ramgopalpet police station, adding that his photographs are being sent to all police stations for identification. A suspicious death case was registered and the body was sent for autopsy.