Chennai: Senior journalist C P Pradeep Kumar died after he fell into the Adyar river here while crossing a causeway over it, police said today.
Pradeep Kumar (58) was heading the Sports desk of city based English eveninger News Today where he had joined only two months ago.
In a career spaning over 30 years, he had worked with newspapers including the ‘The New Indian Express’, ‘Times of India’ and ‘The Statesman’ in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and New Delhi.
Besides sports, he has covered other fields too, including politics.
Police, quoting eyewitnesses, said Pradeep reportedly tripped and fell into the river on Monday night. The low-roof causeway has no parapet walls and it is too close to the river. Also, the area is poorly lit.
Efforts of local men and police to save him turned futile as they could not locate him in the sludge amid darkness.
His body was found floating yesterday and it was handed over to the family today after completion of formalities, police said.
The journalist’s body is being taken to his home town of Kollam in Kerala, for the last rites.
He is survived by his wife, a daughter and son.
Pradeep’s wife Smitha is a senior civil servant with the Puducherry government.
—PTI