Telangana man found dead in South Africa, family suspects murder: Report
After having examined photos sent from South Africa, Battula Srinivas's family has alleged that his feet were touching the ground, and hence it was a murder.
A 32-year-old man from Telangana was reportedly found dead under mysterious circumstances in South Africa, where he had gone to work.
The deceased, identified as Battula Srinivas, from Kamareddy district's Bikkanur mandal, had been working as a borewell machine operator for several years in South Africa, India Today reported.
Srinivas's family members, who received the unfortunate news on the day of Diwali, were told that he was allegedly found hanging from a tree behind his house.
The management of Srinivas's company has, however, not provided any details about his death to his family. This has prompted the family to suspect that he was murdered, a report from Telugu Samayam said.
Additionally, the family members also examined the photos related to Srinivas' death, which were sent from South Africa. They alleged that his legs were touching the ground, adding that his murder was being dubbed a suicide.
Srinivas, who had been in South Africa for nearly five to six years, had last visited India less than five months ago.
"He was not the kind of person to take his own life; this is clearly a case of murder," India Today cited the family's claim.
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Srinivas's family has also demanded that the Congress-led Telangana government look into this matter and bring him to justice.
Left behind after his death are the 32-year-old's wife, Navaneetha, daughter, Lasya, son, Nihaal, and parents, Balaram and Swaroopa.
Earlier this month, a 27-year-old man from Telangana, Chandrasekhar Pole, was shot dead by an assailant at a Dallas gas station.
Pole, who was working part-time at the gas station, had gone to the US for a Master's degree in Data Analytics at the University of North Texas in Denton two years ago.
The deceased, who had completed his bachelor's in dental surgery in Hyderabad, had finished his Master's degree six months ago and was looking for a job. He took up the part-time role at the gas station to support himself, his brother had said.
A few days later, a Texas man was arrested in connection with Pole's murder. The suspect, identified as Richard Florez, allegedly shot the Telangana man and fled the scene before being caught by police.
He reportedly fired at another vehicle a mile away from the scene, without injuring anyone, and later crashed into a gate while trying to enter a nearby residence.
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Police arrested Florez shortly afterwards and recovered a firearm from his vehicle.
The Telangana government also announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh to the bereaved family of Pole. State ministers also visited Pole's residence at Teacher's Colony in BN Reddy Nagar after his mortal remains were brought to Hyderabad.
In September, a techie from Telangana was shot dead by police in California after a "scuffle" with his roommate.
The rise in cases of Indians being targeted in the US and abroad has caused concern among families who wait for their kin back at home. Instances of shootings and unexplained deaths have also highlighted safety issues and complexities with the repatriation process.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).
