Police deny reports of assault

Mysuru: A 64-year-old tourist from Kerala, George Joseph, collapsed near the KRS Dam entry gate on Apr. 3 and later passed away at Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in Mysuru. Though the incident occurred last week, it has only now come to light.

According to Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Police, Joseph was part of a 15-member group from Kerala that arrived in Bengaluru on Apr. 3 and hired a Tempo Traveller to visit tourist spots in and around Srirangapatna.

After visiting local attractions and having lunch, the group proceeded to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary and later reached KRS Dam around 5.30 pm. They purchased Dam entry tickets.

While the group moved towards the Musical Fountain, Joseph, who was reportedly under the influence of alcohol, stayed back and sat near the ticket counter. Between 6.30 pm and 7 pm, he called one of his fellow travellers, asking them to come back to the entrance.

Shortly thereafter, Joseph attempted to stand but collapsed near the ticket counter, where a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Inspector  was present.

An ambulance was immediately called and Joseph was shifted to Jayadeva Hospital with assistance from the Police and fellow tourists. He was declared dead at around 8.15 pm.

His body was later moved to MMC&RI mortuary and a post-mortem was conducted on Apr. 4 before the remains were handed over to his family.

In response to certain media reports alleging that Joseph was beaten to death near the Musical Fountain for misbehaving with a woman, KRS Police have issued a clarification denying any such incident. They confirmed that no complaint of assault or altercation was reported.

A case of unnatural death has been registered, and the Police are awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the exact cause of death.