The deceased, Tirupathiyayya of Taramani, had been engaged to prune trees in the university campus in Guindy, said the police. Tirupathiyayya was standing on the third floor of a building to cut a tree branch when he suddenly slipped and from a height of at least 40 feet. He died on the spot. On information, Kotturpuram police sent his body for post-mortem examination and registered a case.