Rajaji Bhavan security officer dies as bike falls into culvert

CHENNAI: A 53-year-old Central Industrial Security Force assistant commandant was found dead in a drain in a culvert in Puzhal on Thursday morning. Police said R Saravanaraj, who was attached to Rajaji Bhavan in Besant Nagar, was on his motorbike and appeared to have fallen by accident.
A resident of Gandhi Main Road in Vigneshwara Nagar at Surrapet finished duty at 2am and headed for home on his two-wheeler.Around 8am, some passersby noticed a two-wheeler and man wearing a helmet floating in the drain.
Police said he appeared to have lost control of the bike when he was near the service lane close to the Surrapet Toll Gate . “The ground was slippery from overnight rain,” said a policeman. “It appears to be an accident.” Police said the 6ft deep open drain had 3ft of water. Since it had rained over the past few days, there was a considerable flow of water.
“We don’t know if he fell on his own or was knocked down by a vehicle. He appered to have suffered injuries during the fall and had fallen in unconscious,” said an investigating officer. His bike was also in the water.
The Madhavaram traffic investigation police registered a case and sent the body for postmortem to Stanley Medical College Hospital. Preliminary post mortem report suggested drowning could be the cause of death.
Saravanaraj joined CISF in 1987 and moved to Rajaji Bhavan in 2017. A native of Chengalpet district, he is survived by his wife and children. Police have registered a case of unnatural death. Since there was no CCTV camera in the vicinity, police are looking for footage from the nearest cameras.