Kolkata: The body of a 41-year-old man, who went missing after being trapped under a Kali idol during immersion in the Hooghly river in Maheshtala, South 24-Parganas, was recovered on Thursday morning.
The deceased was identified as Lalu Chauhan, a fruit vendor and resident of Ward 7 under Maheshtala Municipality. On Wednesday night, he had joined neighbours for the immersion of a Kali idol from a local temple.
The incident occurred at Akra Arun Mistry Ghat. Eyewitnesses said Chauhan slipped and became pinned beneath the idol during the immersion before disappearing under the water. Despite overnight searches by locals and police, Chauhan could not be traced.
His body was found the following morning near the river jetty. Local residents who spotted the body alerted Maheshtala Police Station. Police officers recovered the body and transported it to Behala Vidyasagar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The body was subsequently sent for a post-mortem examination.
The recovery of the body on Bhai Phonta morning cast a shadow over the locality, with family members and neighbours mourning the death.