‘Not given masks or boots’: Brother of manual scavenging worker who died in Chennai mall

22-year-old Ranjithkumar stands forlorn outside a government mortuary in Royapettah, Chennai. Dressed in a black T-shirt, he runs his fingernails darkened by grime across his face, a vacant expression in his eyes. His hair is matted with muck, specks of which cover his clothing. But when a friend hands over a wet cloth to help him wipe off the dirt, he waves it off, choosing to keep the reminder of a traumatic night - one which he survived, but his brother Arunkumar did not.