New Delhi: A 36-year-old man died after allegedly falling into an open drain in outer Delhi’s Narela. Police are probing whether it was an accident or a foul play.The deceased was identified as Suraj Kumar, a resident of Narela who lived with his family. Early Friday morning, residents out for a walk noticed a body floating in a drain near Sector 5 and immediately informed police.After receiving the information around 6.30am, a team from Narela police station went to the spot and found the man lying in the four-foot-deep open drain along the roadside. He was pulled out in an unconscious state and taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.The man was identified after his brother, Dheeru, reached the spot, said police. Dheeru told investigators that Suraj went out Thursday night but did not return. He was unmarried and earned his livelihood by playing dhol at local events and functions. “Family members also told us that Suraj often stayed away from home for two-three days at a stretch,” police said.Investigators are trying to ascertain how Suraj reached the drain and whether he accidentally slipped into it or was dumped there after being harmed. Officials said the exact cause of death would be established after the postmortem, following which further legal action would be taken. “We are scanning CCTV footage of the area to ascertain the sequence of events,” police said.Earlier this year, similar incidents had highlighted the dangers posed by open drains and manholes across the city. In Feb, a 30-year-old labourer had lost his life after allegedly falling into an open sewer manhole in Rohini’s Begumpur. In another case in May, a two-year-old girl died after accidentally falling into an open drain in north Delhi’s Mukundpur.
