Navodaya Vidyalaya student’s body found in Ujjain pond; search on for missing hostel mate

Ujjain, July 14 (IANS) The body of a 15-year-old student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya was recovered from a pond near the school campus in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district on Tuesday, while a search operation continued to trace another student who went missing with him from the hostel, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Pragyan Vimal, a Class 10 student, while Roshan Baretha (14), a Class 9 student, remained missing till Tuesday afternoon.

According to police, both students disappeared from the residential school’s hostel in the Ghattia police station area late on Monday night. When they were found missing during the night attendance, the school administration informed the police.

A police team rushed to the campus and launched a search operation.

CCTV footage was examined, and other students were questioned, but the missing boys could not be traced during the night.

“After receiving information from the school, we immediately started a search operation. CCTV footage is being examined, and all possible angles are under investigation. The exact sequence of events will become clear after the investigation is completed,” Ghattia police station in-charge Karan Khowal told reporters.

At around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, local residents alerted the police after spotting a body floating in a pond, a water-filled agricultural pit located near the school boundary.

The body was retrieved with the help of villagers and later identified as Pragyan Vimal.

Police sent the body to the district hospital for post-mortem examination and registered a case. Officials said the exact cause of death would be known only after the post-mortem report is received.

Meanwhile, teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police and divers continued searching the pond and surrounding areas to locate the missing student.

“The search for the second student is continuing with the help of SDRF personnel and local divers. Further action will be taken on the basis of the post-mortem report and investigation. If any negligence on the part of the school management is found, legal action will be taken against those responsible,” Khowal said.

The incident has raised questions over security arrangements at the fully residential school, with family members and local residents alleging lapses in hostel supervision and night security.

–IANS

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