Varsity student’s body found in Lucknow’s Kathauta lake, kin allege murder

The police, however, claimed that it seemed to be a case of accidental drowning, but the post-mortem report is awaited to ascertain the cause of death

LUCKNOW The body of a 21-year-old student of a private university was found floating in Kathauta lake under Chinhat police station limits here on Wednesday morning. His family alleged foul play, as the body bore some injury marks, said police.

The victim’s hostel mates were unaware how he reached near the lake. (Pic for representation)

The deceased was identified as Prabal Rajput of Lakhimpur Kheri, a student of B Com third year from a private university in Lucknow. He was staying in a private hostel room near the university campus in Chinhat and was missing from his room since early Wednesday morning.

The police, however, claimed that it seemed to be a case of accidental drowning, but the post-mortem report was awaited to ascertain the cause of death.

The Lucknow police media cell informed that Prabal Rajput drowned when he had come for a walk near the lake along with some friends on Tuesday midnight. He reportedly fell into the lake while trying to fetch a mobile phone that slipped out of his friend’s hands. The body was pulled out by locals around 3am on Wednesday and rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, where Prabal was declared dead, said Ghanshyam Tiwari, inspector, Chinhat police station.

Prabal’s father, Abhishek Rajput, reached Lucknow after coming to know about the incident. He alleged that his son had been murdered, pointing out towards injury marks on the face, neck and head of the victim, when the body was fished out of the lake.