Rabale MIDC police arrested a 26-year-old for culpable homicide not amounting to murder of his 20-year-old friend. The men were swimming under the influence of alcohol and the accused allegedly dived on the deceased who drowned due to the weight of the accused.
The deceased, identified as Mangesh Ramu Prajapati (20), had gone for a swim with his friends from Thane at Ilthanpada, Digha.
A total of six friends in the age group of 13-26 years had gone for swimming including the alleged accused, Manoj Jaipal Benwal.
After reaching the creek side, all the friends entered the water while Benwal and Prajapati sat beneath a tree and consumed alcohol and another person from the group, Ishwar Santosh Tupe (17), was sitting and having lunch. By 4pm, Tupe entered the water by tying a thermocol around him. Later, Prajapati, who was completely drunk by then, also entered the water holding a piece of thermocol.
“According to the complainant who is the father of the deceased, the deceased did not know swimming and hence he swam holding a thermocol,” Sudhir Patil, senior police inspector from Rabale MIDC, said.
Benwal, who was also completely drunk, first jumped on Tupe for fun, drowning him but he came up due to the thermocol tied to him, said the police. Later, Benwal jumped on Prajapati during which the piece of thermocol he was holding loosened from his hand and he drowned. After realising that Prajapati drowned, Benwal fled the place.
“After speaking to the other friends who were present at the spot, it was found that Benwal’s act caused the drowning. He did it for fun without any intention of killing. The deceased’s father gave a complaint and we registered it after which we arrested him,” Patil said.