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2 MP students tasked to clean hostel’s water tank electrocuted: Police

The two students were found in the hostel’s water tank on Wednesday morning by some villagers who raised an alarm

Published on: Sep 25, 2024, 18:52:16 IST
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BHOPAL: Two Class 12 students were found dead in a water tank of a government-run hostel in western Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district on Wednesday morning, police said.

The district has announced an ex-gratia assistance of  ₹3 lakh each from two funds (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The district has announced an ex-gratia assistance of ₹3 lakh each from two funds (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police said the two students, inmates of the hostel run by the state’s tribal department, were identified as Vikas Singh, 17, and Akash Ninama, 18,

The two were found in the water tank on Wednesday morning by some villagers who informed the hostel warden about the tragedy.

A hostel inmate Rohit Singh said, “We were going for breakfast in the morning. A few villagers who came to fill water from the hostel informed that two students were lying in the tank. We reached there and brought them out. They were alive then. They were rushed to hospital where doctor declared them dead.”

A police officer said the two are suspected to have come in contact with a live wire from the tank’s water pump when they entered the tank with a bucket and mug,.

The families of the two students accused the hostel warden Bansingh Kannauj of forcing students to clean the tank.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Umang Singhar said, “The bodies of two 12th class students were found in the water tank in the hostel premises. The hostel management is not saying anything about how and why this incident happened.

Singhar demanded that MP chief minister Mohan Yadav take action against the hostel superintendent since this was a clear case of negligence and announce necessary assistance for the family members.

Dhar district collector Priyank Mishra suspended hostel superintendent Bansingh Kannauj and formed two-member committee comprising of the area sub-divisional magistrate and an engineer of electricity department to probe the matter. “The probe committee will find why the students entered in the tank and how this accident happened.

An ex-gratia of 2 lakh each has been announced for the next kin of the deceased. Another 1 lakh each will be given from Red Cross Fund, the collector added.

  • Shruti Tomar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shruti Tomar

    I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More