Saharanpur (UP), Apr 1 (PTI) The body of a 45-year-old man was recovered from a drain near a forest area here, police said on Tuesday.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sagar Jain told PTI that the deceased, identified as Tejpal, a resident of Kalsia, was found near a forest area close to a highway.

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"Passersby noticed the body and informed Behat police, following which officers reached the spot and retrieved it from the drain," Jain said.

The police said they recovered pouches containing liquor and packets of snacks near the body, indicating possible alcohol consumption before the incident.

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"Tejpal used to collect and sell empty bottles to buy liquor," Jain added.

Jain said preliminary findings suggest that Tejpal may have fallen into the drain while intoxicated, leading to his death. The deceased's family was initially unwilling to allow a post-mortem, but the police have sent the body for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

"The post-mortem report will confirm the reason behind his death," Jain said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)