Man alleges foul play in son's death

JALANDHAR: Only after a father alleged foul play in the death of his son that a case under section 302 of the IPC was registered against unknown

persons in connection with the drowning of Gurkirat Singh, a student of Government Sports College, in the college swimming pool.

A student of BA-I, Gurkirat of Sadoke Naul village of Ferozepur district had taken admission this year and was a basketball player.

Countering his father's claim the college authorities had claimed that he, along with some other boys, had forced his entry into the swimming pool and got drowned.

However, his father Harkanwal Singh alleged that "only a couple of days back Gurkirat gave us a call and said certain seniors were ragging them".

He stated that his son might have been pushed into the pool by some seniors who were indulging in ragging. The deceased's brother, Harkirat Singh, said Gurkirat knew swimming and could not have drowned. Police division No. 2 SHO Sukhjit Singh confirmed the registeration of the case.

College principal Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary held that ragging never took place in the college. "Unfortunately some students had forced their entry into the pool despite being stopped by the chowkidar," she said, adding that even swimming students did their practice in the presence of the coach and guard.

Chaudhary affirmed that chowkidar Shinda had stated that a group of students had pleaded that they just wanted to take a few dips to beat the heat and jumped into the pool. He then called coach Om Parkash, who asked a student to jump into the pool after Gurkirat did not come out. The boy was found entangled in the ladder of the pool.