Body Of South Director Vetri Duraisamy Recovered From Sutlej River After Week-Long Search

The body of Vetri Duraisamy, 45, son of former Chennai mayor Saidai Duraisamy, was discovered from the Sutlej river in Himachal Pradesh on Monday. This discovery comes over a week after the vehicle he was travelling in met with an accident. The police stated that Vetri’s body was located following a collaborative search effort involving the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Disaster Response Force, Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force, Home Guards and divers from the Mahun Nag Association.

Vetri was reported missing after a Toyota Crysta he was travelling in plunged into the Sutlej River near Kashang Nallah, allegedly due to the driver losing control of the vehicle. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on February 4, the Himachal Pradesh Police stated that the driver, Tanjin, was declared deceased, while Vetri’s co-passenger, S Gopinath, aged 32, was rescued and hospitalised.

Upon receiving the information, the police promptly arrived at the scene and successfully rescued Gopinath, who had sustained head injuries and fractures. He was initially rushed to the Regional Hospital and later transferred to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC). The team also managed to reach the vehicle, retrieve it from the river and discover Tanjin’s body, the Police added.

Saidai Duraisamy, a former Saidapet All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLA, held the position of Chennai mayor from 2011 to 2016. Vetri, on the other hand, was a film director. His movie Endravathu Oru Naal, starring Vidharth and Ramya Nambeesan, was released in 2021.

Political parties in Tamil Nadu, including AIADMK, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), among others, have extended their heartfelt condolences. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences to Saidai Duraisamy, stating, “This grief should not be, cannot be faced by a father.” Vetri’s body will be kept for public homage at 5 pm on Tuesday at his residence in Chennai.