The Avadi police on Monday arrested two men of a private contract firm in connection with an incident in which a youth died while clearing a block in an underground sewer line at Saraswathi Nagar in Avadi on Sunday.
The police said residents had complained to the authorities of the Avadi City Municipal Corporation about the block in the sewer pipeline on JB Estate Kurinchi Street at Saraswathi Nagar. VB Associates, a firm contracted to the civic body, sent S. Gopi, 25, K. Manoharan, 50, and Kumar, 30, to clear the block on Sunday.
Gopi first entered into the underground pipeline and fainted inside within a few seconds. The others informed the personnel of the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services. The firefighters managed to pull out Gopi from the pipeline. He was rushed to a government hospital nearby, where the doctors declared him brought dead.
Sekar, the victim’s father, lodged a complaint with the police accusing VB Associates of being responsible for the death. Based on his complaint, the police registered a case against three persons, including the owner, manager, and supervisor of the firm, under Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
The police arrested B. Ravi, 50, the manager of the firm from Kancheepuram, and C. Anand Babu, 30, supervisor from Avadi. They were remanded in judicial custody. The victim’s body was handed over to the family members after a post-mortem.