MALAPPURAM: A 69-year-old man collapsed and died while waiting in a queue inside a bank branch in Tirur in the district on Thursday. P.P. Pareeth, father of additional public prosecutor P.P. Rauf, was rushed to Tirur District Hospital immediately after he fainted but was declared dead by doctors there. The incident occurred at the State Bank of India branch at Thazhepalam where he collapsed around 12 pm as he waited with a token in the queue since morning.
Police said he died from a cardiac arrest and there was nothing unnatural. The bank officials have provided Mr Pareeth with a chair to sit after he showed uneasiness. For the last three days, the bank counters and ATMs in many parts of the districts were witnessing long queues. A majority of the ATMs remained out of cash. The traders had registered their protest against the authority's failure to supply banknotes proportionally in the district. The Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samiti district committee has also decided to approach banking authorities to resolve the issue which has hit them badly.
