Hyderabad, December 09: Old habits die hard and the residents of Manikeshwar Nagar, who knew Bodasu Narasimha, would vouch for it. On Monday, 66-year-old Narasimha, a daily wage labourer, stayed at home as his employer announced a holiday following the bandh call given by the TRS.
As was his habit for the last several years, he would often be spotted sitting on a slab near his house.
Unfortunately for him, when the police resorted to caning in Manikeshwar Nagar on Monday, the elderly man was sitting on the same slab.
Within no time, he was pushed to the ground by people running helter skelter and the chasing policemen.
He was trampled upon leading to severe internal injuries. He died on Tuesday and with his death, Narasimha’s family has lost the sole breadwinner.
According to locals, Narasimha, who was sitting on the slab on Monday saw people running in all directions.
“Within no time, he was pushed on to the ground and the panicky people ran over him. In the commotion, no one could hear his desperate cries,” locals said.
“He is a daily wage labourer and always used to sit near the street corner.
He died only due to the highhanded police action. After his sonin- law’s death two years ago, Narasimha’s daughter Yellamma had been living with him. Now who will take care of her and her two children,” wondered Lakshman, Narasimha’s nephew.
The family members of Narasimha, took him to a local hospital after he complained of severe internal body pains. He was treated as an out-patient after being given an injection and later sent to his house.
Within an hour of returning to his house, Narasimha died.
All the agitated residents of Manikeshwar Nagar gathered in front of Narasimha’s house, where his body was kept for people who wanted to pay their last respects. They raised slogans against the State government, police and Chief Minister K Rosaiah blaming them for Narasimha’s death.
Narasimha’s grief-stricken grandchildren, Shiva (14) and Nagalakshmi (12), are in shock. The lathicharge has left them very disturbed.
Most of the relatives of Narasimha who had taken ‘Ayappa deeksha’ are now planning to give it up following Narasimha’s death.
“We had already booked our railway tickets for Sabarimala but we will now cancel it. Narasimha would have been alive had the police not resorted to a lathicharge and that too in such a wild manner. His grandchildren are now left in the lurch as they have none to feed them,” Yellaiah said.
A R Anuradha, Vigilance & Enforcement IG, however denied that the police were responsible for Narasimha’s death and said he had died because of some health problems.
–Agencies