Pool death: Cops question students,watchmen

A few days ago,the students had an argument with Faiz during net practice,but the matter had ended then and there,said police. It is also learnt that 45 of the 92 cricket trainees in Class XI — including Faiz — did not attend the 9 am class on Wednesday. The police have started questioning them.

“We are not ruling out foul play,keeping in mind that the boy was not seen visiting the pool in the past and did not swim,and the body was found outside the pool. A police team has been engaged to collect evidence and find how Faiz had reached the pool,” said Lucknow DIG Rajiv Krishna. “The police are yet to get any evidence against the two boys named in the complaint,” he added. Though Faiz’s postmortem report has stated drowning as the cause of death,it has mentioned no external or internal injuries on the body. The report is also silent on the blood oozing out of his nose,said Krishna.

When interrogated,watchman Sant Prasad — who was on night duty that continued till 10.30 am the next day — said he had not seen Faiz or anyone else going to the pool. He,however,had left the poolside around 9 am. When Ram Kumar took charge at 10.30 am,he found Faiz lying at the poolside and informed the college authorities,said Krishna.

Sant Prasad had also said that though he locked the pool gate,often boys who are not in swimming classes,entered the area through the broken wall in the rear,said Mahanagar Circle Officer Virendra Kumar.

The SP (Trans-Gomti),Abdul Hamid,who is supervising the investigation,said: “Raj Kumar and Sant Prasad are daily-wage employees and responsible to keep a watch on the campus,including the swimming pool. But they are also engaged to do other jobs by the college staff.”

At Faiz’s residence,his elder brother Shahnawaz — who reached Lucknow from Chennai on Thursday — said his brother’s murder was a planned conspiracy. “On the night of August 2,Faiz had called me to say that he felt somebody had loosened the bolts of the fan in his room. The fan made a lot of noise and then fell. Luckily,it happened when he was not in the room. His mobile is missing,” he added.

Shaheen Bano also found it strange that nobody from the college had visited the family after Faiz’s death. “I do not have faith in the postmortem report. His body had turned all black. I am sure that my son was poisoned and then thrown into the pool. My son’s only fault was that he had requested a boy not to rag freshers,” she said.

The Sports department,meanwhile,has ordered an inquiry into the matter. Principal Secretary (Sports) Lalit Varma said the committee,which will submit its report in seven days,will consist of officials from three departments of the college.

The committee will furnish details on six points — the alleged ragging,reports of fights between trainees,differences between some coaches,whether anybody accompanied the boy at the time of the incident,whose responsibility it was to look after the construction of the boundary wall and why nobody was present at the pool at the time of the incident.

College Principal A K Banoda said he had written to Principal Secretary (Sports) regarding compensation for Faiz’s family.