Three youths drowned in a pond in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday evening after jumping into the water as a police patrol vehicle reached the spot, while a fourth member of their group managed to swim to safety, IANS reported.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

The incident took place between 7.30 p.m. and 7.45 p.m. at a pond behind Chowpatty, near Jhula Pul, under the Kotwali police station limits in Shahdol. According to police, four youths from the Gharola area of Ward No. 22 were sitting near the pond when a Dial-112 patrol vehicle arrived. All four jumped into the pond; one swam out, while the other three went into deeper water and drowned.

Personnel from the Kotwali and Sohagpur police stations reached the spot and called in the State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF). After a rescue operation lasting nearly an hour, the three youths were pulled out unconscious and taken to the district hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

Family members alleged that the police had chased the youths, forcing them to jump into the pond, and they also alleged that doctors were not available on time at the hospital and that stretchers were not provided. Kotwali police denied the chase allegation, saying the patrol vehicle was on routine duty. City Superintendent of Police Rajendra Mohan Dubey said the exact reason the youths jumped into the pond was not yet clear and that all aspects were being investigated.

Shahdol Collector Parth Jaiswal has constituted a three-member inquiry committee comprising Additional Collector Sarodhan Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police Abhishek Diwan and Civil Surgeon Dr Shilpi Saraf. The committee has been asked to submit its report within a week and to examine the circumstances leading to the incident, the allegations made by the families and the arrangements at the district hospital, IANS reported. Zee News reported that Sohagpur SDM Amrit Garg confirmed the committee would look into where lapses occurred.

Source: Zee News

The district administration has sanctioned immediate financial assistance of Rs 25,000 each to the families of the deceased. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the deaths, calling them extremely heartbreaking, and directed that financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each be provided to the families from the Chief Minister's discretionary fund.