Pune: Contractor booked for culpable homicide for girl’s death by drowning on Katraj-Kondhwa road

Pune: The Kondhwa Police have booked the contractor for a girl’s death by drowning on Katraj-Kondhwa road. The incident took place in a deep ditch dug for the road-widening and grade separator work.

Jagdish Chhagan Shilawat (35) lodged a complaint at the Kondhwa Police Station in this regard. The Shilawats sharpen knives and other such tools for their livelihood. They have set up a shanty in the open space near the road.

The ditch nearby was filled with rainwater. Sargam Jagdish Shilawat (15), Janubai Ramesh Shilawat (16), Tejal Jagdish Shilawat (12), Muskan Deva Shilawat (16) had gone to wash clothes there around 11 am on Saturday (June 8).

Muskan slipped into the ditch. The other three girls tried to save her by entering the water and started drowning. The Fire Brigade was alerted. The jawans rescued them. But Muskan was unconscious and was admitted to hospital. She was declared dead on arrival by the doctors.

Investigation revealed that the contractor did not take measures to safeguard people from the ditch, which was dug for road work. This caused the incident. The contractor has now been booked for culpable homicide.

PI (Crime) Mansingh Patil is investigating the matter.