Srinagar: A 14-year-old boy who had reportedly gone ‘missing’ from his home on Tuesday was found drowned in Madhumati Nallah and upon a rescue operation his body was retrieved from the water source this morning.
Local sources told GNS that one Zahid Ahmad Magray son of Maqsood Ahmad Magray, as per his family left home at around 4 PM yesterday (Tuesday). “After the boy didn’t returned, the family reached out to the neighbours and relatives to see if he may have been at any of the places’, however once they didn’t got any satisfactory reply, they approached the police to file a missing report this morning”, they said adding the boy was later on found drowned by in Madhumati Nallah near Goiwar area of Sonerwani.
“Soon after a joint rescue operation launched by SDRF, MARCOS, Fire and Emergency Services Department, police and army, took the team an hour or so to fish out the body from the nallah”, they said.
Confirming the incident, a police official told GNS that a case has been registered into the matter under relevant sections. “We will look into the possible cause that led to his drowning”, he said adding “the circumstances would be taken into due consideration to see whether had it been accidental or has there been any foul play.”
The District Police has in the meantime put a ban on swimming and bathing activities in nallah Madhumatti as “a measure to safeguard the precious lives” and its tributaries in wake of frequent loss of precious lives in drowning incidents.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Headquarter Bandipora, in a statement issued to GNS, maintained that in view of the tremendous increase in flow of waters during summers, few people especially children venture out for swimming and bathing in the Nallah thereby putting their lives to avoidable risk.
“The trend has resulted in loss of lives by drowning in the past.”
“As a precautionary measure to safeguard the precious lives, there shall be a complete ban on swimming bathing in Nallah Madhumati, with immediate effect, till further orders”.
The officer added that the district police has always stressed local population near the rivers to avoid bathing in the rivers so that tragedies are avoided. (GNS)
