Two drown in Saketri rivulet as one tries to save another

According to the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Mansa Devi Complex police station, Sushil Kumar, despite issuing several warnings not to bathe in the rivulets these days, the youths took a dip.

“Deepak who is son of Kalu didn’t know how to swim. Other youths told him not to jump but he did. Soon they realised that he wasn’t crying for help and wasn’t responding. To save him, other Deepak jumped in as he knew how to swim,” the SHO said. The SHO added, “However, the water current was so strong that both of them drowned and could not be saved.”

Kalu saw Deepak’s birth after three daughters and he was his only son. The moment the families got to know, they were inconsolable. Other four youths informed the police that they would often come to this rivulet to take a dip. They had come after 2 pm and the incident happened within minutes.

The police got to know at 2.30 pm and they rushed to the spot. Sakteri in-charge also informed the Station House Officer and both the SHO and the ACP rushed to the spot.

The NDRF (National Disaster Response Fore) team reached at 5.30 pm and fished out the bodies.
Indervir, brother of Deepak, stated that they had gone to pay obeisance at the Sakteri temple and after that, they went to bathe in the rivulet. He also alleged that despite the police reaching the spot, no one jumped into the rivulet to save the drowning boys.

After the bodies were fished out by the divers, the police rushed the victims to the General Hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula, where they were declared brought dead. Kin of the deceased were devastated after getting the information. The police started proceedings under Section 174 of the CrPC.

Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police Sumer Pratap Singh had imposed Section 144 of the CrPC around all the rivulets, including Ghaggar, Tangri and Kaushalya in Panchkula barring people from going near these rivers on June 26, a day after the narrow escape of a woman rider in a four-wheeler, which got stuck in the Ghaggar river on June 25. Any social, religious gathering around these rivers was prohibited till further orders.

In the written orders, DCP Sumer Pratap Singh had stated that the legal proceedings under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code will be initiated against the violators of prohibitory orders. Instructions for strict patrolling were also issued to the incharges of police posts, police stations of the areas concerned where rivers flow.

The water level and water flow current has increased in the rivers for the last 48 hours due to the rain. The floodgates of Kaushalya Dam near Pinjore have been opened for releasing the surplus water.

NDRF reaches late

The NDRF team which is supposed to be a quick response team was informed by the police at 2.45 pm to reach the spot. However, they reached around 5.30 pm. By the time, they reached, two lives had been lost.