In probably the first such-death reported from the Capital, a 48-year-old man died on the way to hospital minutes after he complained of uneasiness while standing in a bank queue on Wednesday.
Saudur Rehman’s cousin said he had been standing in bank queues for long hours for the past couple of days.
“On Tuesday, he joined a bank queue around 5 a.m. and returned home without cash at 4 p.m. Only three customers were ahead of him in queue when the bank closed. On Wednesday, he went to the bank at 3 a.m. itself,” said Mr. Rehman’s cousin Siraj.
Chest pain, uneasiness
On both days, Mr. Rehman chose to wait outside Bank of India, Hamdard Dawakhana branch, which is located around half-a-kilometre from his home in Old Delhi’s Lal Kuan.
“I received a call from him around 11.30 am. He complained of chest pain, uneasiness and fatigue. I immediately rushed to help him,” claimed Mr. Siraj.
Describing what happened at the bank, Mohammad Shafi, a shopkeeper near the bank, said he was standing outside the branch when he noticed Mr. Rehman coming out. “He came out as he was feeling uneasy. We were all here. He said he had been visiting the bank for the last three days,” he said.
When Mr. Siraj reached the bank, he found Mr. Rehman sitting on the floor.
“I immediately stopped a rickshaw and took him to a clinic nearby. On the way, he told me to take care of his children in case something happened to him. Soon after, he collapsed in the rickshaw itself,” added Mr. Siraj.
At the clinic, doctor said Mr. Rehman would have to be rushed to a bigger hospital. “I took him to Lok Nayak Hospital, but he did not survive,” he said.
Heart ailments
Mr. Rehman’s brother Afzarul Rehman said the deceased had been suffering from heart ailments and blood pressure problems for some years now. He was hesitant to blame the death on the long queue.
When The Hindu visited the aggrieved family on Wednesday evening, some people visiting them tried to downplay the incident. They even prevented journalists from interacting with his immediate family.
Mr. Rehman was a graphic designer and operated out of an office located in his home. He is survived by his wife, a 20-year-old son and three teenage daughters. “He was desperate to exchange some old cash that his daughters handed over to him. I cannot say whether or not there was shortage of usable currency in the house,” said Mr. Siraj.
