Two elderly persons, including a woman, died due to unease after standing in a serpentine queue to collect advance food coupons issued by a “social worker” at Mittaganahalli village near Kempegowda International Airport on Thursday morning.

The Bagalur police arrested the “social worker” identified Asif, a resident of Mittaganahalli, on the charge of negligence leading to two deaths.

The deceased have been identified as Anwar Pasha (65), of Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and Rahmath Unnisa (70), a resident of Chikkaballapur.

The police said that following Asif’s announcement that would distribute food coupons to the poor and his community, nearly 4,000 people gathered at Mittaganahalli. He, however, did not inform the police about the gathering and provided no basic facilities like chairs and drinking water. Many elderly persons and children began queuing up and around 9.30 am. Pasha and Rahmath felt uneasy and collapsed on the ground. Both were rushed to the hospital but doctors declared them brought dead.

The police arrested Asif and booked him under provisions of section 304A (causing death by negligence) of IPC and are investigating.

2 aged people die standing in line for freebies