State-level judo player drowns in Bhopal’s Upper Lake

A state-level judo player drowned in the Bhopal’s Upper Lake on Saturday morning while bathing at Sheetaldas Baghiya.

A state-level judo player drowned in the Bhopal’s Upper Lake on Saturday morning while bathing at Sheetaldas Baghiya.

Judo gold-medallist Ashish Patil, 17, who was a trainee at the Madhya Pradesh State Judo Academy, was among 25 other trainees and coach Monica who had gone for a cross-country race from Tatya Tope Stadium to Sheetaldas Bagiya, Upper Lake.

At Sheetaldas Bagiya, Patil entered the lake to take a bath but drowned.

According to eyewitnesses, Patil didn’t know how to swim and had accidentally entered the deep end alone.

Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) divers threw floating tubes towards him but he was unable to grab them in time. Later, the coach requested speed boats from the Madhya Pradesh Water Sports Academy.

After searching for a while, his body was recovered by divers. He was rushed to a hospital, where the doctors declared him brought dead.

After the incident, sports minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia announced Rs 3 lakh ex-gratia for his family as he belonged to an underprivileged family and was an only son.

However, Patil’s father Pandit Rajdhar Patil alleged that his son’s death was the result of a conspiracy and the sports department should have taken care of him.

Sports director Upendra Jain said, “It is a very unfortunate incident but it was an accident only. No one is responsible for his death.”