Karnataka cops gather CCTV footage, question witnesses over girl’s death in society complex

The police on Saturday have started gathering the CCTV footage and recording the statements of the witnesses during its investigation into the case of a 10-year-old girl, who was found dead in a swimming pool of a high-end society complex in Bengaluru on Thursday evening

The police on Saturday have started gathering the CCTV footage and recording the statements of the witnesses during its investigation into the case of a 10-year-old girl, who was found dead in a swimming pool of a high-end society complex in Bengaluru on Thursday evening, officers familiar with the matter said, adding that they are waiting for the post-mortem and technical reports to ascertain the exact cause of her demise amid speculation of electrocution.

The victim, identified as Manya Damerla, a class 4 student at a private school, lived in Prestige Lakeside Habitat apartment located at the Varthur-Gunjur road (Representational Use)

“The post-mortem was conducted and we are awaiting the report. Once we receive reports from the Forensic department and the electrical engineer, we would be able to ascertain the exact cause of death-whether it was drowning or electrocution. There were no visible injuries marks on the body, but since there are allegations of an electric shock, it’s important that we verify these claims from all angles,” a senior police officer said.

The victim, identified as Manya Damerla, a class 4 student at a private school, lived in Prestige Lakeside Habitat apartment located at the Varthur-Gunjur road.

According to the police, Manya was playing near the swimming pool around 7.30 pm on Thursday when she fell into it and drowned. The girl’s father, Rajesh Kumar Damerla, an entrepreneur-cum-founding chief executive officer of a digital content-creation platform, rushed her to a private hospital where doctors declared her dead.

Meanwhile, following the incident, the Prestige group issued a statement assuring they were actively cooperating with the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to prevent such incidents in future.”We deeply regret the tragic incident at Prestige Lakeside Habitat. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family affected by this devastating loss. Safety is our utmost priority, and we are actively cooperating with the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to prevent such incidents in the future. We are committed to implementing any necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” it said.

The department of electrical inspectorate has also launched a probe into the incident. “Followed by request of BESCOM authorities, I visited the spot and collected the evidence about the incident,” Whitefield department of electrical inspectorate M Sachin told HT. “We are also waiting for the autopsy report and could not come to any conclusion as of now. We are verifying the evidence collected from the spot and a report will be submitted in a week,” he added.

A police officer said if it is found that electrocution was the reason for the girl’s death, suitable legal action will be initiated against the electricity department.

Varthur police have registered a case of unnatural death on the complaint of the girl’s father.