Elderly man assumed to have died of natural causes run over by car at Chennai lodge's parking

CHENNAI: Police have found that a 66-year-old man, who was initially assumed to have died of natural causes, was actually killed by a reversing car at the parking area of a Pondy Bazaar lodge last Friday.

Police said that they have arrested Aditya Raj Singh (22) of Jharkhand, a college student, for the accident.

The victim, D Panneerselvam of Thousand Lights, usually slept in the parking lot of a lodge near his house. On September 14 (Saturday), around 7 am, his daughter, D Vana Roja (40) found him lying unconscious and alerted her siblings and relatives.

The family had initially assumed that Panneerselvam had died of natural causes and began making funeral arrangements. However, Roja raised suspicion after noticing bloodstain near his ears.

She approached the lodge to check the CCTV footage and found that a car had run him over and fled the scene after which she and the family members approached the police on Monday.

Police investigations were handed over to the Pondy Bazaar TIW (Traffic Investigation Wing) who traced the car’s registration number.

The driver had run over the man twice, first while moving the car forward and then while reversing the vehicle without realising that a man was sleeping and had fled the scene.

Police secured the body and sent it for post-mortem to Government Royapettah Hospital. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and rash and negligent driving was booked against Aditya.