A 34-year-old man in the Indian city of Hyderabad, allegedly, committed suicide at a prominent lake in the city, over fears of having contracted COVID-19. Reportedly, he was denied admission at a private hospital, due to the lack of a COVID-19 test, before he drowned in the lake. Social media users in India are sharing news reports about the deceased, identified as Pulthan, a native of West Bengal.
According to a news article on The New Indian Express website, he was working in Hyderabad as a goldsmith, and was residing in Old City, with his family.
Police say Pulthan initially went to a local doctor, at Attapur, who treated him for a few days, and later referred him to a corporate hospital.
According to local news reports, he was denied admission at the corporate hospital. Instead, Pulthan was asked to visit Gandhi Hospital, as he was considered a suspected COVID-19 case, and did not undergo any tests for COVID-19.
The man however did not attempt to go to Gandhi Hospital, stated a news report on the Times of India website.
According to a cop at the local police station, on Friday, Pulthan requested a friend to accompany him to the lake, claiming that the air near the lake might give him respite from the breathing difficulty that he was facing.
Both men reached the lake by an auto, and Pulthan requested his friend to remain seated in the auto, claiming he would be back shortly. The goldsmith reportedly drowned in the lake, on Friday. The local police and rescue teams were unable to recover the body even on Saturday.
Finally, Pulthan’s body was recovered by the police on Sunday.
According to news reports, his body was not taken to the morgue to be tested, instead it was shifted to a designated burial ground where dead bodies of COVID-19 patients are cremated.