Chennai: In a shocking incident, a homeless man from Kerala who went viral on social media for cleaning and paying floral tributes to the statue of APJ Abdul Kalam daily, was found dead in the premises of Marine Drive.
The man, identified as G Sivadasan (63), decorated the statue of the former President daily with flowers that he plucked from the surroundings. He had even planted a few plants near the statue.
According to the police, Sivadasan was killed by his friend Kaithepalli Parambil Rajesh alias Sudheer (40) who became jealous after his video became popular. He had been arrested.
“Ever since he became popular through social media, Sivadasan was approached by people offering monetary help and even shelter. Sudheer, who was a close friend, was blind with envy and made it a point to shower Sivadasan with a volley of abuses along with physically attacking him most nights,” said K Lalji, Ernakulam Assistant Commissioner of Police, told media on Saturday.